The early Christians proclaimed that in Christ there was no Greek or Jew, slave or free, male or female. This was easy to say, but more difficult to put into practice. It is difficult to overcome old habits, attitudes, and ways of thinking. Paul appealed to Philemon not to punish his slave Onesimus for running away - he could have been put to death. But more than that, he wanted him to think of him and treat him as a brother rather than a slave. Christians quickly forgot this lesson, along with many others. In our own time, we are challenged to think of different groups of people in new ways - as brothers and sisters, rather than enemies or people to be mistrusted. Who are these people in our own time, and how do the words of Paul challenge us?

Christ will come quickly, like a bolt of lightning, and we will not be able to predict or control his coming. Jesus warned people not to be influenced or led astray by hysterical claims that Jesus was to be found in this or that place. The kingdom is among and within you, so don't look outside for what should be found inside.