Emancipation Day is a day to celebrate justice—things made right. It also celebrates the will, conviction, and endurance of a community's leaders. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came ten years after a group of anti-slavery people got together to change society. It was a long and hard road that pitted them against the economy of the world's largest empire. They fought the status quo and dedicated their lives to the good of others. Led by William Wilberforce, the Anti-Slavery Society displayed remarkable leadership in a generation that decided to do what was right instead of what was profitable. Emancipation Day reminds of us past victories for justice.

I wonder if the generation I find myself in will stay the course, fight the hard battles, pay the price, and sacrifice for real justice. We seem to be willing and comfortable equating justice with raising awareness. We are content to know about the problems in the world, feel bad about it, and buy the t-shirt. The Nobel Foundation endorses this equation of activism. A guy a few years ago won an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize just for telling the world through a movie that humanity is supposedly destroying the globe. This year they gave it to another good man; however, his achievement was simply having the potential to do something great.

Our standard for peacemakers has dwindled to public relations campaigns and possibilities. When William Wilberforce and company brought justice to the forgotten and oppressed, they did more than that, and they endured the hard long struggle for the freedom of those who endured an even harsher reality—they changed the world for millions of its citizens. Actual change . . . hard to believe, eh? But they did it. The anti-slavery movement did not just give voice to the silenced; they were their arms, hands, feet, and actions. They were skilled, intelligent, collaborative, and hardworking. They were also passionate, idealistic, and hopeful.

I see a generation who is filled with compassion but low on resolve, and it reflects our leadership. A leadership that has been captivated by social networks, blogs, and so-called influence to the extent that they are willing to sacrifice little and suffer less. We are not willing to dedicate our lives, professions, energy, and brains to the forgotten and oppressed. And we know it. We know our actions are not enough to end sex trafficking, slavery, starvation, and homelessness. Leaders settle for bumper stickers, shoe gimmicks, and a wide assortment of twenty-something trends.

We are told we have a lot to offer: backs and pockets. But we all know we have even more than that. If only we, as leaders, dreamed bigger and called people to a bigger life. A life of literal abandonment of ourselves for the good of others. Using all that we are to bring mercy, kindness, and justice to the lives of neighbors.

This isn't about guilt, it is about knowing who we are and living like it. The numbers shouldn't make you feel guilty for what you have, they should remind you of what you are called to do, what we are capable of accomplishing, and ultimately what we are supposed to do. We are the most talented, connected and creative generation ever. What if we only settled for changing the world of millions of people:

Sex-trafficked: 2,500,000 people
Slaves: 27,000,000 people 
Living on less that $2.50 a day: 3,000,000,000 people
Homeless in United States alone: 1,600,000 people

I pray for a community of people with the resolve to go for it, and the leadership to organize, equip, and release us to do it well.

Brad Watson and his wife, Mirela, live in Portland, Oregon. You can find more of his writing at http://www.bradsstories.com.