The” Sound of Freedom” is a gut-wrenching true account of hope and redemption. It is a hard-watch but it is a deeply moving and memorable film that powerfully explores the reality of human trafficking and the relentless efforts of individuals fighting to set children free from sex slavery. This true story exposes the dark underbelly of this world while exhibiting the power of love, faith, and unwavering determination.
To be honest, I didn’t want to go see the film. Someone I knew bought a block of tickets and invited me to go and so I did.
I was well aware of this issue many years ago. I was teaching a class on searching the internet to a room full of policemen in Florida. During the break, one of the men revealed that his job was to pretend he was a young teenage girl and interact with potential sexual predators. When the pedophile eventually wanted to meet, they would set up a sting operation.
Additionally, I have been nauseated by reading the stats and details of child sex trafficking that goes on at the annual Superbowl games. Occasionally you’ll hear about sex-trafficking of children stings in the news (but not always). Then there are a plethora of real stories out there, all you have to do is search for them online. It all just makes you sick.
But…. trafficking hit closer to home for me, when something happened to a friend of mine in a parking lot. As she was pushing her shopping cart full of groceries to the van and holding her baby, she became aware someone was following her; she sped up. Opening the van doors, she threw her groceries in, grabbed her baby and jumped in, and locked the door just as a man walked right up to her window and stared at her, then he walked away. The I-20 corridor is an easy gateway to grab and go.
Back to the film. With the experiences I’ve had, I knew that seeing children being abducted and sold into sex trafficking would tear my heart out. The film focuses on two children, a boy and a girl, and the amazing effort to rescue them. The audience is spared from seeing what the pedophiles do to them, but we aware it’s happening. In a way, I didn’t want to see the truth – that the world I live in is full of people filled with evil hearts. I didn’t want to open my eyes to visual images of a gritty underworld where people kidnap, sell, and force innocent children to do horrendous things. I was literally looking at soulless people laugh while they are being handed money for delivering children.
As the film says, “over 2 million kids a year are being sucked into the deepest recesses of hell”. “What if this was your daughter?”
The film’s main message is “God’s children are not for sale”.
At one moment in the film, Tim Ballard quotes the words of Jesus to a pedophile, but the guy was clueless about what he’s talking about.
“whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6
Tears came to my eyes at the end of the film when I read the statistics about America. Here they are:
- Human trafficking is the 2nd largest illicit industry in the U.S. It is 2nd only to the drug trade.
- The US is among the largest consumers of child sex.
- There are 40.3 million trafficked persons globally today and 25% of them are children.
- Sex trafficking is the most common type of trafficking in the US. In North America, 72% of detected survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
- 70 million CSAM files are estimated in 2019 with 78% of this file are children under the age of 12.
- The extent of family involvement in child trafficking 4x higher than in cases of adult trafficking.
- 53% of all male victims trafficked into sexual exploitation are children.
- Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 U.S. States.
- Global estimates (2022) show that human trafficking has increased by nearly 10 million people in the last five years. Human beings – image bearers of God – are being captured, exploited, and bound as modern-day slaves.
The film displays an incredible unwavering commitment by Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel). to bring these children to freedom, even at immense personal cost. We feel this heroic action echoes the sacrificial love of Jesus. The film effectively showcases the transformative power that a real faith in Jesus can have, as we selflessly reach out to the oppressed and courageously pursue justice. The film reminds Christians that as we become of aware of evil and injustice, God has called us be a light and to push back against the present darkness which is growing exponentially.
Left-wing media is discrediting the film as it believes it’s somehow associated with QAnon (a baseless conspiracy theory) but that clearly isn’t true. The film was actually filmed 5 years ago, before QAnon conspiracy theories began circulating. Why would they be critical of anti-child trafficking? Hmm.
Many are saying Biden’s open borders policy contributing to child sex trafficking. Last year 152,000 unaccompanied children crossed the border, but more alarmingly, 85,000 + illegal migrant children have gone ‘missing’ (according to DHS). Hmm, where did they go? Who brought them over to the US and why? It makes you wonder. Perhaps we need to take a closer look at Epstein’s client list. Oh yeah, the DOJ won’t release it. I guess there are some pretty high-profile names on that list that we may never see.
At the end of the film, viewers are challenged to respond to this escalating injustice; to get involved. A call to action is being asked, to learn more, and courageously engage in the fight against human trafficking. One way is through Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R), an organization committed and focused on rescuing children from the clutches of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation (they receive no money from the movie). You can “Pay It Forward” on their website, allowing others to obtain free movie passes.
Also, there are a plethora of anti-trafficking organizations in the US you can get reach out to: Frontline Response, Shared Hope International, and the Tim Tebow Foundation. Also, “Eight Days of Hope” has just completed a safe house for girls coming out of sex trafficking.
You can start by becoming “aware” of what’s going on around you by going to see this incredibly impactful film. You’ll hear what the sound of freedom sounds like; the joyful shouts of children set free.
Click to see “The Sound of Freedom” trailer.
Watch on YouTube.com (full movie).
As of this writing: The Sound of Freedom has surprised many by already crossing the $100 million mark.
Note to moviegoers: This movie is not suitable for young children.