God is a gracious God. Most believers would enthusiastically affirm this statement. The controversy starts once you attempt to spell out the details. How exactly is God gracious? This week, we examine a powerful story found in Genesis 21 concerning God’s attentive kindness to a family who are found outside of the traditional order. A young woman, Hagar would become what today we call a “single mother" after her and her son Ishmael, were banished by Abraham due to the demands of the matriarch Sarah. Yet, God was gracious to Hagar and Ishmael and cared for them. Today, Muslims trace their heritage from Abraham through Ishmael and regularly commemorate the faith and courage of Hagar. As we listen to this story from our own Bible, we will be challenged to think about the fair and gracious ways we can be good neighbors to Muslims as we seek to look beyond the climate of fear and prejudice that regrettably exists between our two communities of faith.
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