Philemon who?

I always wondered how the book of Philemon made it in the Bible. I mean really, it’s like one chapter! But as I was reading it today (since it’s short and I’m still in the recovery process…hmm…maybe that’s why it’s in there!)…anyway, I was really struck by Paul’s plea for Onesimus, the escaped slave, now a dear friend of Paul’s. So Onesimus was Philemon’s slave, he then skipped town, somewhere down the line meets Paul who leads Him to Christ, and now Paul is sending him back to Philemon, but Paul is really pleading on Onesimus’s behalf and really wants Philemon to allow him to return and stay with Paul. I know; it’s just so much drama!

Seriously though, it made me think a number of things that I’m going to try my best to articulate in a manner that hopefully makes sense. As I have been plagued since birth by this need to make a difference (shocking, I’m sure for those who know me well, ha!)…and wanting those who call themselves Christians and the Church to really wake up to the world around them. To care about the poor, to be invested in the lives of the broken, to give until it hurts, to just be Christ!! As I ache to change the church culture and change what it means to be a believer, so that we move from the safety of the pew to impacting a hurting world…I was hit by Paul’s example.

Paul in his letter to Philemon never calls for an overthrow of the system of slavery, in fact, it says that he pleads and appeals to Philemon on the basis of love for Onesimus, who he now refers to as his son. (vs.9-10). Yet Paul’s actions destroy slavery! He basically stands in the gap for this slave, now his dear friend and he takes on whatever Onesimus owed Philemon (apparently he stole from his master before escaping). Paul even calls him “his very heart”…wow, what love! He did exactly what Jesus did and does for us! He took on this slave’s debt, loved him like a son, treated him with love, he pleaded for him and set things right with his owner, and he was able to get his freedom.

I was reminded from Paul’s example that great social changes come when people’s hearts are changed, one broken heart at a time. I can sometimes get frustrated with the Church and feel like they need to just get their acts together and start caring about things that actually matter, caring about social justice and serving the world. But I realized that in a society that still struggles with racism, is so focused on getting more, and making more, and consuming more, and being more, and dealing with so many other horrific injustices…I realized that these things cannot be eliminated by laws alone…a change of heart has to happen. One heart at a time; beginning with ours.

So it’s made me think of my own heart. When was the last time I stood up for someone and pleaded their cause? Stood in the gap for a friend? Or better yet, has my heart been so dramatically changed to the point where it causes change in others? Where it inspires people to re-engage with the things that God has a heart for? And where that heart and mind change hopefully brings about great and lasting social changes in our world…or at least gets us moving in that direction.