Lessons from Onesimus
February 4, 2021
Do you know the story of Onesimus? No, not the enslaved man whose story is central to Paul’s letter to Philemon, which is now a book in the New Testament. The other Onesimus. Another enslaved man whose story is central to a lesson for us today.
In 1721 there was an uncontrolled disease raging throughout the Northeastern part of the United States. In a world that’s very familiar with epidemics, I’m certain that the fear experienced by those facing this disease in the 18th century is relatable to us. The spread of smallpox claimed thousands of lives and even swept through entire civilizations (see also: Indigenous Native Americans).
The Black American community at large can trust President Joe Biden to fulfill his campaign commitments of ensuring that Black people would be better positioned to prosper in the U.S., according to the man chosen to give the benediction at the Jan. 20 inauguration.
âWe need a president who is after the heart of God,â Rev. Sylvester Beaman, of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware, told NBC News. âIn these terrible times, if anybody can bring healing and reconciliation to a divided country, if we give him room to work, Joe Biden can be that person.â
Born in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital in upstate New York and raised by a single mother in a family of nine children, Beaman rose through the African Methodist Episcopal Church ranks.