Living in the Spirit

September 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Philemon 1:1-21

So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. –Philemon 1:17-21

Paul did not hold back from pressuring people to do the right thing. I felt discomfort when I read in the above scripture how Paul was trying to manipulate Philemon to do the right thing regarding Onesimus. I do not have the same reaction to the word “just” or “justice,” however, the Greek and Hebrew languages treat them equally. What is just is right; what is righteous is justice. I am not a linguist, but I do think we need to be attentive to our cultural interpretation of the words we use or misuse for an ulterior purpose. I do not know when I started hearing the word “woke” as an adjective describing a type of person. The word “woke” to me is the past tense of wake which means the process of transferring from sleep to not being asleep. It also means the water in the ocean when a ship maneuvers through it. Wake is also known as a viewing, visitation, or gathering related to the death of an individual.  None of which explains the woke as a personality type which seems to be the way it is used today.  Apparently, at some point, the word began to be used in slang to mean having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights* which sounds like a good thing to me. However, it is being used in political ads describing such awareness as negative. Carried to its extreme, this kind of thinking is censuring what we teach in our public schools regarding our history of injustice as being a dangerous thing to teach to children.

Paul expected both Onesimus and Philemon to learn from their mistakes and live in righteousness intentionally. I think God expects that of us today.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in following you more nearly in a world that works hard at confusing us for its negative purposes. Amen.

*https://www.dictionary.com/browse/woke

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.