Water

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. 

 - From Genesis 21

The story of Hagar and her son Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn, is distressing, particularly when filtered through an early 21st Century lens. Hagar, the slave, and her son were cast out of Abraham's household, to fend for themselves in the wilderness. They nearly died of thirst. 

There are a number of themes here, that are problematic for us. The abandonment of a woman, and of a child. Their exile into the wild. The favor given to Sarah and her son, after her horrible treatment of Hagar and Ishmael. Given contemporary sensibilities, it is a wonder there is no movement to rip the narrative from the pages of the most popular book on the planet. 

But in considering the lives, and biographies of people in the Bible, so little is recorded of them, that what is left must be important. We must put on a different lens, to understand the application of these accounts, to our lives and the world today. 

1. Slavery has a different meaning today, to what it meant in the time of Abraham. It was a common practice and may be describing all of the non-family members of a household, that were there to work or do some particular job for the community. In return for their labor, they were provided food and lodging, and maybe some pay. But legally they were still considered property, and as such were subject to the whims of the master. 
2. Slavery, as a concept, provides context for much of the plan of redemption. Nobody wants to be a slave. And really, when we're looking at it honestly, none of us really would want to "own" a slave. Our Christian and Western ethic has ingrained it upon our DNA, that slavery is bad - a great evil, actually. We hate slavery so much that it informs our response to almost everything in society - employment, health care, education . . . we want to get ourselves out of dependence on others. We don't want to be under the thumb of anyone else. 
3. Abraham's treatment of Hagar and Ishmael is nothing short of abusive. How is it that the father of nations, and the paragon of Faith, was guilty of crimes considered most abhorrent in 2020? Well, the scriptural narrative has several threads running through it, that are nakedly candid about humanity, our virtues as well as our failings - the beauty and the ugliness. Humanity is presented at its very best and very worst - - - that's the point, and it makes the plan of redemption crystal clear. God uses the worst of us, to do great things for Him.

I want to focus, though, on this image of water . . . when Hagar had given up hope, certain that her son was going to die, a messenger of God appears and shows her a well of clear, flowing water. Water is such an important symbol throughout Scripture. In the movie Ben Hur, water is twice presented as a simple, but powerful life-giving force. "Water" has a poetic sound that has made for some memorable lyrics and themes in popular music down through the ages. 

Last week . . . I was watching our lawn-mowing crew at work, on a hot sunny day. I went out and grabbed two bottles of water and offered it to them. They eagerly accepted, shut down their engines, and took a little break. It felt great to share with them something so simple, yet so effective. 

The thought of water takes me to the present world's crisis. People are driven, in pursuit of justice. There is great dread, on the part of many, that the unrest will not end any time soon. But I wonder if tempers would settle down, if we had in mind . . . give them some water.

A cup of water is all it takes to convey an important message: I see you. I hear you. And it's going to be okay.