What Kind of Beer?

From today's L.A. Times California section...

Man allegedly tried to trade child for beer

A man has been arrested for allegedly arranging for his 14-year old daughter to marry a neighbor in exchange for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat, police said.

Authorities in Greenfield, a farming community on California's Central Coast, said they learned of the deal after Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36. asked them for help getting his daughter back after payment wasn't made.

Questions & Thoughts:

1. We are outraged by this because of the culture we live in. None of us can imagine doing something so seemingly callous. But in other parts of the world and in other eras (think Biblical), trading daughters in marriage for goods was the norm and considered smart business. Remember Jacob and Laban?

2. What kind of beer? Without knowing the brand of beer it is impossible to know if this guy was getting a fair trade. Are we talking Pabst Blue Ribbon or Guinness?

3. Who thinks of "several cases of meat" when considering what they will offer in a deal? (Yes, I'm interested in trading in my old car for that new one over there and, to sweeten the deal, how about I throw in several dozen cans of vienna sausages?)

4. In all seriousness, the saddest part of this sad story is that Marcelino only wanted his daughter back (to try to broker a better deal?) after it became clear the other guy wasn't going to pay up. Sex trafficking (and I'm not sure that's what this is exactly, but it's in the same neighborhood) is a huge problem of which we are largely unaware. To read more about the scope of the problem check out International Justice Mission, a group doing something about it. And pray for the 14-year old mentioned in this story. And for Marcelino.