Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Looking at the Undocumented

"Perhaps this is why he (Onesimus) was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord."

Near the end of his life, St Paul writes to Philemon about Onesimus, a slave who has turned his life around in Christ, and begs Philemon to treat Onesimus as a fellow pilgrim, not as a slave. Without denying that Onesimus still belongs to Philemon by law,  Paul focuses, not on Onesimus' status as a slave but on the radical equality all people gain in Christ.

What a powerful lesson this short letter teaches. We are all one in Christ and we need to act like it. Respecting undocumented people, honoring refugees and exalting those without a voice because we are one with them in Christ proclaims that the power of faith erases all distinctions between and among Christians. Working for policies in every nation that exalt our common humanity rather than our differences because of race, gender, and ethnicity is an essential Gospel teaching.

Today, look not at another's legal status but at their rights as human persons to dignity and love.

Who has helped you see others with God's eyes?

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