More Than a Slave, a Beloved Brother

Onesimus was enslaved, then enslaved in another way - by his utility to Philemon. Paul reframes the entire relationship. He's not just useful, he's beloved. Not just a worker, but a brother.

I own a small business and I've realized how easy it is to see employees that way - as units of labor. But Paul's insisting they're people, brothers and sisters, beloved by God. That changes how I interact with them.

I've been trying to know people, not just their job performance. To care about their wellbeing, not just their productivity. It costs me more, but it costs them less. And somehow the work is actually better because the people aren't just trying to survive the job - they're actually building something together.