Day 82
Today I am thankful for a good night’s sleep when I did not have to worry about breaking something or someone when I turned over. I am also excited to report that I was able to dress myself this morning.
The day before yesterday when I was writing about Phileas my autocorrect kept changing his name to Philemon. I guess the algorithm that referees such choices figures that having a book of the Bible named after you beats being the central protagonist in a 19th Century French novel. All that is by way of explanation as to why I was reading the letter to Philemon in the waiting room at the hospital yesterday.
Philemon is a short, personal letter that Paul and Timothy wrote to a friend and fellow worker and likely his wife and either colleague or son. It is interesting that Paul does not mention his being an apostle in this epistle but rather greets Philemon as their dear friend.
I strongly believe that friendship is the basic building block of effective and fruitful teamwork and meaningful community.
The gospel is advanced by groups of friends who work together for a season and continue to care for each other when that time of closer collaboration comes to an end. I was struck again by the opening of this letter written by friends to friends.
Paul gives thanks for Philemon in a way that affirms their partnership and encourages his good mate. The qualities that Paul underlines are Philemon’s love and his faith. If we were to look at the outstanding qualities of Phileas they would be more traditionally heroic virtues such as resourcefulness, courage and intelligence, albeit borne with a punctilious English resolve. Our models of leadership need to revolve around humility, self denial and sacrifice because this was the servant leadership that Jesus modelled long before it became a management fad. The greatest characteristic of a leader is love.
Philemon is commended for refreshing the hearts of God’s people. A leader will either bring refreshment or expect that refreshment will be brought to them. Philemon is commended as one who gives.
“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” (1:4-7)
Paul goes on in the letter to advocate on behalf of a former slave named Onesimus. This is someone who has come to faith and he has got to know while he is in prison. It is Paul’s prerogative to compel Philemon do what he asks but instead he makes an appeal on the basis of love. The request comes from a place of relationship rather than of hierarchical power.
Leadership is pretty much always more about influence than about authority. Making authoritative judgements is a last resort rather than a first response. This philosophy needs to adapt to the situation. If a bottle is heading for somebody’s head a loud and clear command to “DUCK” is an entirely appropriate strategy but it is leadership style better suited to conflicts and emergencies than to building trust and growing vision. Love tends not to shout.
Paul’s letter to Philemon is a great reminder that individuals matter to God. I remember hearing a leader in a talk categorising people by strategic importance. Larger donors and more senior staff warranted much more of their valuable time. We have a whole book of the Bible that largely concerns a slave, the lowest rung in society, being sent back to the household that he had previously fled.
“Maybe it's all for the best that you lost him for a while. You're getting him back now for good-and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That's what he was to me-he'll be even more than that to you.
So if you still consider me a comrade-in-arms, welcome him back as you would me. If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. This is my personal signature-Paul-and I stand behind it. (I don't need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) Do me this big favour, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good.” (1:15-20)
Paul is asking that Philemon would receive Onesimus back into his household as he would receive Paul himself. Asking for the slave to become a friend is not the way things would typically play out in the world but it is the way the gospel works. The way the early church seeks to live and operate is not to copy the culture they are in but to counter it. This attempt to copy culture in pursuit of influence and relevance is perhaps the key philosophical, strategic and theological blunder that is driving many away from churches today. We need to be different to make a difference.
Today I am thankful for leaders who love. I am grateful for friendships of quality and depth that are grounded in faith and love. This common commitment has endured regardless of what position any of us have held at any given time.
I do not know what Paul might have written to Phileas but I am glad that what he wrote to Philemon has survived. I am thankful for the way it testifies to love and friendship that crosses miles and spans generations.
By the way, if you are British (or aspire to be 🙂 ) it is okay to be a little punctilious, who knows, it may even help you navigate around the globe in a little less less than three months.
Todays psalm is also a reminder of the basis of authority and it’s limits. Those who pass judgement owe their position to the Lord and will be judged by him. There is accountability which should result in the kind of counter cultural activity that Paul is advocating to Philemon.
Those who lead and judge are not to defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked. Rather they are to defend the weak and fatherless, uphold the poor and rescue the weak.
“God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock.
"Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. You're here to defend the defenceless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued.
"I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, But you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." O God, give them their just deserts! You’ve got the whole world in your hands! (82:1-8 MSG)
The slave, the owner, the apostle and the judge will all face God’s judgement. That accountability necessitates a different understanding of responsibility.
My friend Cassells used to ask himself a key question to consider when interviewing people for roles in ministry. It was “Who will love these people well?”.
What I can do needs to be overshadowed by what I should do which must be shaped by what has been done to me and for me, not by people but by the Lord.
Treating others like they treat me may be the Golden Rule but it is really just the silver rule, I mean who doesn’t do that.
Treating others as I would like them to treat me should be the Golden Rule
Treating others as I treat myself is the Platinum Rule
Treating others as God treats me is the the Jesus Rule – which is altogether more precious and more costly.