We had a raid. In broad daylight and right by the front door! It’s really bad when someone walks into your house just like that and takes what they want. Do what you want and scratch where you want.
It just so happened that my son’s laptop was replaced and I was next in line to get a new one. What a beauty, that little laptop! Fast and small. I could take it wherever I went.
About three months later, my son came to me. I could see that he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was stupefied. He was looking for his snorkel that he urgently needed to swim. He really fixed his wardrobe and when he climbed on a chair to get to the top, he touched something cold.
He pulled it out slowly and there it was. The laptop we thought was stolen was exactly where she had hidden it before we went on vacation. We were grateful, but suddenly we came face to face with an ethical dilemma. What should we do with the old laptop? What should we do with the new laptop? Should we notify the insurance company?
What is correct?
I suspect that Paul also faced this question when Onesimus repented. Onesimus was a slave who had run away from his master, Philemon. In those days, that was a felony that carried a long prison sentence.
Led by Pablo, Onesimus repented. When the cover of slave and thief fell, a wonderful man emerged. A man who helped Paul so much with his ministry that it could hardly continue without him. Onesimus became Pablo’s right hand and helped him improve life in prison a lot.
But Pablo knew that Onesimus did not really belong to him. Onesimus belonged to Philemon. But Paul could have argued that Philemon had many other slaves. Or that Onesimus had to stay because he was actually doing God’s work in prison.
But Paul didn’t stumble over his own thoughts and wonder what was right. Deep down he knew that the right thing to do was to send Onesimus back to his owner. 12I’ll send it back to you, but he feels like I’m cutting my right arm off doing it. 13I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as his understudy to help out while I’m in jail for the Message. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything behind your back, force you to do a good deed that you hadn’t willingly agreed to.
That was the right thing to do.
We called the insurance companies and told them that we had found the old laptop. That was the right thing to do.
Deep down in your heart you know what is right. Has to. Always.
Holy Scripture
Philemon 1:8-14
Reflection
How to know what is correct?
Do you always do the right thing?
How can you make sure you do the right thing next time?
Prayer
Father, deep down I know most of the time what is right, but my head makes me decide otherwise. Help me to always do the right thing. In the name of Jesus, amen.