Unbound: Freedom in a Digital WorldSýnishorn

It is hard to imagine how Philemon would have felt when he was hearing the letter from Paul being read to him, especially if it was alongside others in his house church. On the one hand Paul praises and thanks him, but on the other he slightly reprimands him for the way he has treated Onesimus as less than human.

Take note of these three specific three things that Paul does to remind Philemon that Onesimus is as much human as he is. First, he refers to Onesimus as "his own heart." He reminds Philemon that Onesimus is a person with the ability to both love and be loved. Second, he reminds Philemon that because Onesimus has accepted the gospel he is now a fellow believer in the faith who will also inherit eternal life. Third and most strikingly, Paul tells Philemon that though Onesimus might have run away as a slave, since he is now a believer, he will return not only as a slave but as a brother in Christ. The social status of owner and slave is no longer their primary relationship. Now they are siblings in Christ.

The Christian priest and author Henri Nouwen wrote about one of the most joyful days of his life when he journeyed by himself to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery. He said he felt all alone and out of place till he joined the crowd walking together with arms over each other's shoulders. He described the experience of joy in this way,

“Yes, yes, I belong; these are my people. They may have a differently-colored skin, a different religion, a different way of life, but they are my brothers and sisters. They love me, and I love them. Their smiles and tears are my smiles and tears; their prayers and prophecies are my prayers and prophecies; their anguish and hope are my anguish and hope. I am one with them.”

We greatly underappreciate how our brothers and sisters in Christ encourage and support our humanity. Joy, unity, and family in Christ all come through being physically present with one another. Digital technology abuses our craving for this humanness by alluring us with our relational desire but withholding all that makes being human valuable. We reach for our phones when we should reach for a hand. We spend more time a day touching screens than we do one another. Tech is not touch.

Paul’s reminder for Philemon is helpful for us today as well. We will always find a dehumanized life lacking because we were created human in the image of God. We are designed for face to face, arm in arm relationships. Practice being human today by setting down your phone and holding someone's hand. Maybe someone whose hand you haven’t held before. Might be an elderly neighbor that could use a prayer or young niece that would love to swing and dance.