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July 23, 2020 Good afternoon everyone, " I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. " Philemon 4-7 Philemon was a member of the community and a slave owner. Today, we would not allow it. He would be labelled a white supremacist and be put in jail, maybe. Paul was the leader of the Christian movement, and a murderer of early Christians. He has been transformed by a flash of light on the road to Damascus. How did Paul deal with the sin that he had committed ? Could he forgive himself, and was the community always trusting of him ? Why did Paul not call for the abolition of slavery ? I do not know. He had said in the letter to the Galatians ( 3:28 ), that there is no longer slave or free, male or female or Jew or Greek… So in theory, it is not allowed, but he does not say to Philemon, " no more salvery ". He asks Philemon to take back the slave , Onesimus, after Onesimus had run away. Both people are under the Lordship of Christ, as is Paul and Timothy. In Roman society, you could earn your freedom, but this freedom meant you left your employment, and it was often impossible to survive being a free person. So, slavery allowed you to survive, maybe, but people were not able to thrive. So in verses 4-7, Paul tells about his love for Philemon and everyone. He is not going to address slavery head-on, but invite Philemon to a new partnership with his slaves and the community of faith. Was Phileom a new convert to the people of " The Way" ? For Paul to say that Philemon and Onesisimus were partners in faith and life, is a very radical thing to write. We do not have a follow-up letter from Philemon to know what he might have thought of Paul's idea about Onesimus . What issue are we dealing with today, that would ask us to be radically converted ? Are we willing to go in the direction of the Damascus Road ? Slavery was embedded in society, both in political and religious terms. If a vaccine for Covid would be developed, who would get it first ? How do we decide ? Who are our radical partners in these situations that may arise in our country within the next year ? What other issues can the letter to Philemon invite us to discuss ? Prayer ( from Gerald Manley Hopkins ( 1844-1889 ) Gather gladness from the skies Take a lesson from the ground Flowers do [h]ope their heavenward eyes And a Spring-time joy have found Earth throws Winter’s robes away, Decks herself for Easter Day. Amen. Fred Tread on bold new paths ! Fireflies flash the direction Hope springs eternal Monica Pieper Landoni 2020 Fred Redekop Pastor Poole Mennonite Church
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Ponder Anew 