Embracing Risk

Last Sunday Naomi Entwistle continued our series ‘Off the Map’, looking at the story of Onesimus which can be found in the book of Philemon. Onesimus, a slave, has run away from his master Philemon and Paul is writing to Philemon asking him to accept him back. At the time Paul penned his letter, a runaway slave could be sentenced to death, but Paul asks Philemon to spare Onesimus, going against all social norms.  Naomi asks us to consider our motivations for change – is it a sense of duty, or a recognition that God is at work?  What does it look like to bear the cost of change for the benefit of others?  Finally, are there things that we have been running away from, that God is inviting us to face up to in order to step into true freedom?