Alma de Color

The book of Philemon is a letter from Paul and Timothy to a house church in Colossae (modern southwest Turkey). Paul addresses the letter to three influential believers who had some leading role in the church: Philemon, the wealthy homeowner, Apphia, believed by some to be his wife while other scholars/historians believe she was more likely to be a deacon like Phoebe (Mowczko, 2016) , and Archippus was a minister of some sort within the body of believers there. Colossae was a city known for its syncretism (HarperChristian Resources, 2022), which is the blending of incompatible religious beliefs or worldviews. Verse 6 of Philemon states that Paul and Timothy are eager for the believers in that church to have “fellowship that would lead to quote faith [becoming] effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in [them] for Christ's sake” (NASB, 1995). This letter to Philemon has some background history. Onesimus had stolen from his master Philemon and then had run awa...

(Image credit to Kristel Koukoua using Canva.com Magic Design AI Image Generator, 2026) I see you, Grief, sitting there across the room. Your shoulders are dropped and serene, Your countenance, hidden from me by your impartial cheek, I know to be calm, patient. Sometimes, I think I've moved on from your visits, Healing and processing each new loss with experience, The deep knowing that we heal and life moves on. Then, a scent, a phrase, a taste, a texture, a sound,  And suddenly, Grief, you look at me with those eyes deep as the caverns of the deep, The silent streams of sorrow pouring down your visage, And I am transported to those moments, Those scenes from days gone by. Sometimes, the memories are mixed with pain and hurt. Sometimes, they spark deep joy and laughter. Sometimes, they feel like a sharp, twisting dagger point. Sometimes, they smolder and burn with leftover anger at injustice. Once the torrent passes and the droplets, too, have ceased, Grief, you smile at me with a ...