Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Meet Hagar—an Egyptian slave whose extraordinary encounter with the divine remains one of scripture's most radical stories. While Abraham and Sarah typically dominate the narrative of Genesis, this sermon shifts our focus to the woman they exploited, abused, and ultimately abandoned to die in the wilderness.

Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing guides us through Hagar's remarkable journey from nameless object to the only person in all of scripture who dares to name God and lives. When Hagar bestows upon God the name "El Roi"—the God who sees me—she reveals a profound theological truth: the divine gaze prioritizes those society overlooks. Abandoned twice to die in the desert, Hagar experiences God's intervention when human compassion fails.

This story resonates powerfully today. Hagar represents "the undocumented immigrant, the uninsured single parent, the trans person facing discrimination"—all those pushed to society's margins. Her experience illuminates how patriarchal systems pit marginalized people against each other rather than fostering solidarity. Sarah and Hagar, both victims of patriarchy in different ways, become enemies rather than allies.

The sermon challenges us to recognize how we participate in systems that dehumanize others through our language and actions. When we refuse to acknowledge someone's name, when we label groups with dehumanizing terms, we follow Abraham and Sarah's example rather than God's. But Hagar's story offers hope that divine compassion transcends human-made boundaries of nationality, status, and power.

Whatever wilderness you may find yourself in today, remember that you are seen. El Roi—the God who sees—remains especially attentive to those society forgets. In a world of division and dehumanization, may we develop eyes that see as God sees, recognizing the inherent dignity in every person we encounter.

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