In search of a missing link, a plea was sent to a friend so true,
With his appeal, he hoped for a solution, but what could this friend do?
A slave had fled, and to his master he hoped to return,
Could the friend intervene, spare no effort, and with wisdom, heart, and concern?
Though slavery was an accepted norm, this friend saw deeper still,
And with a heart so full of compassion, he urged his master’s heart to fill.
“I am sending him back to you,” the friend wrote, but he did not stop there,
He urged compassion, forgiveness, and a love so rare.
As the letter was penned, hope and expectation filled the air,
Could this slave be redeemed, given a new chance, and receive care and fair?
The friend hoped and prayed for an answer, a change of heart, a turn of fate,
And in the end, these many years hence, we commemorate his faith.
What is the book that holds this tale, that speaks of hope and love so grand?
Where the friend of a slave prevailed, and urged redemption, forgiveness, and a helping hand?
It’s a small yet mighty book, that speaks of grace and mercy given,
It tells the story of Philemon, and its message echoes through the ages far and wide, touching hearts and lives with heaven.