‘Lamb of God’ production to benefit sex trafficked children
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MISSOULA — “Lamb of God” is a beautiful, sacred, and inspiring oratorio performed by an all-volunteer choir, soloists, narrators, and full orchestra. It is the retelling of the New Testament account of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and Resurrection. It is retold from the perspective of those who associated closely with and knew Him best. Written and composed by Rob Gardner, “Lamb of God” is a powerful message of hope.
Conducted by Derek Larson, “Lamb of God” will be performed on March 26, 27, 28 at 7 p.m. in Missoula’s First Presbyterian Church, 235 S Fifth St. W. Norman Maclean’s (author of A River Runs Through It) father, John Norman Maclean, was its pastor from 1909 to 1925. This church building, designed by John’s close friend, A.J. Gibson, is a rich part of Missoula’s history. (Gibson also designed the Missoula Courthouse along with a number of buildings that are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.)
Our performance is free and open to all. Donations are encouraged for the benefit of Operation Underground Railroad, a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission it is to rescue sex trafficked children and assist in their recovery and rehabilitation. Founded in 2013, O.U.R. has rescued 3,100 children and arrested more than 1,700 traffickers. O.U.R. has rescue operations around the world and works closely with and trains local law enforcements on how to organize and orchestrate rescues and arrests.
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery and the fastest growing criminal business in the world. Twenty-two cases were reported in Montana in 2019. (https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/montana) The Polaris Project, another nonprofit, non-governmental organization that works to combat and prevent human trafficking, runs the National Human Trafficking Hotline. They report a 25 percent increase in human trafficking calls between 2017-2018. According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, every two minutes a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation. This rescue effort is urgent.
