Trafficking activist explains ‘divine relay’ Print
Written by Leslie Santamaria   
Monday, 07 July 2014 03:54 PM America/New_York

UnstoppableOne lesson God taught author and human trafficking activist Christine Caine was a dozen years in the making.

As a fan of the Olympic women’s relay race, Caine watched her favorite team, the Americans, lose in 2000, 2004 and 2008 after failing to pass batons well. When the American team won gold in 2012, Caine realized God wanted her to see something—that Christians worldwide run the most important race every day, “the divine relay,” and the exchange zones are critical for success.

Caine explains this lesson using stories from her life and the ministry she cofounded, The A21 Campaign, in her new book from Zondervan, Unstoppable: Running the Race You Were Born to Win (9780310341178, $15.99), releasing Aug. 26.

A21 fights human trafficking around the world, including sexual exploitation and forced slave labor. The examples in Unstoppable come from the frontlines of that battle. They show how each believer, regardless of present and past circumstances and limitations, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, can serve God in this generation. The book focuses on rallying believers to join the race and then to pass on batons effectively to others.

“The church needs champion runners who never give up, who persevere no matter what they encounter, who run to win—unstoppable, no matter the cost,” writes Caine. She debunks the things that threaten to hold back Christians, including fear, apathy, unforgiveness, shame and opposition from the devil. Referring to the seeming impossibilities biblical figures Moses, David and Mary faced, she writes: “Impossible is God’s starting point.”

While believers are tempted to falsely believe they cannot make a difference, Caine points out that as Christians put the broken pieces of their lives into God’s hands, He uses them to work wonders.

Caine refers to the race of faith not as an individual journey, but a team event. Mastering the handoff of responsibilities to fellow Christians means letting go of one thing to grasp another.

“Hand off the baton well and we represent God as big to the world around us,” Caine writes. “Hand off poorly (or worse yet, stop handing off at all) and we represent God as small to the world.”

Additionally, Caine stresses that the goal of the race is not to earn God’s favor, but to become more like Christ. The baton is the work of Christ in individuals and the world. And the finish line might not be visible on this side of eternity.

To order, call 800-727-1309.