I recently found myself reading the book of Philemon. It's the third shortest book of the Bible with only one chapter and less than 30 verses. It's a strange inclusion in the "Cannon" of the Bible. So short, and really only about Paul sending Onesimus back to Philemon and wanting Philemon to prepare a place for Paul to come visit him.
But there is so much more in those 25 verses. Onesimus was a runaway slave - he had run away from Philemon, was caught and sent to prison... it just happened to be the prison where he would find Paul. There is a lot about Onesimus' salvation, which I'll save for my faith blog. My focus here is his appeal to Philemon to welcome back Onsesimus as a fellow man.
Paul charged Philemon to see the human value in his former slave. He charged him to not see him as a slave but as an equal - as someone as valuable has himself in the eyes of God. His charge includes the understanding that they are valuable to God and to each other.
Value each other.
Feel the weight of your friends, your colleagues, the stranger at the bank, in your world and know your value in theirs.
Someone's value is tied to the heart, the soul, the spirit.
Someone's usefulness is tied to a task or a thing.
We limit our humanity when we value others by their usefulness.
We build our humanity when we cherish the value of each other.