Philemon, the shortest book we have in the New Testament, is a straightforward letter inspiring and troubling at the same time. In it, Paul uses all of his considerable powers of persuasion to convince Philemon to be better and, perhaps, to free Onesimus from slavery. It is an example that we have of how to push those around us to better stand for love. To better stand for people without voices themselves, to better stand for people without their own power.