The Philemon Question?

The book of Philemon in the Bible is a letter from Paul & Timothy sent to Philemon and others in his home and church. Paul asks Philemon to show kindness to his escaped and apparently pretty useless slave Onesimus. Whom Paul had led to faith and had become a much-loved brother to Paul and a very useful help to Paul and Timothy. Paul and Timothy asked Philemon to treat Onesimus as a valued brother and to allow Onesimus to return to Paul and Timothy to continue helping them. In the context of the times this was a big ask!

Roman society and economy were heavily reliant on slavery. As the Roman Empire expanded by conquest the defeated soldiers often become slaves, other people were sentenced to slavery as a punishment and in hard times people would sell their children into slavery. Escaped slaves would be hunted down and returned (often for a reward). If caught, fugitives could be punished by being whipped, burnt with iron, or killed. Those who lived were branded on the forehead with the letters FUG, for fugitive.

While this seems shocking to us, the society Philemon lived in fully expected him to either brutally execute or torture and brand Onesimus head with FUG. Paul in contrast asked and fully expected Philemon to show compassion and agree to his request to buck the overwhelming expectation of the society he lived in.

 If Paul was writing to you or me today, how would he be asking us to show compassion rather than act in conformity with society expectations and norms?