The Head of the House: Philemon

Paul writes to Philemon, a “dear friend and coworker,” about Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus. In ancient

Israel, almost anyone could become a slave, and nearly 30-40% of the population were enslaved. Slaves were treated poorly, and could be killed for running away. However, somewhere along the way, Paul meets

Onesimus and chooses not to view him by his status alone, or as a criminal for running away, but as a son. Paul – however imperfectly – pushes and challenges Philemon to see the full humanity of Onesimus. This short letter - included in the canon for a reason – calls us to do the same. May we, like Paul, take a step – however small – to bend the arc of the universe toward equality, justice, and love.