Hagar the Hero

At our Thursday Harbor gatherings, we are in the middle of a Lenten series called “The Wilderness of Faith: Hope and solidarity in Lent.” The first 3 weeks of our series were spent looking at the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21 through the lens of womanist theology (more on womanist theology in Dawn’s blog post).

Many of us were first introduced to Hagar as a side character, almost a disruption, to the main story of Abraham and Sarah. Patriarchal and colonial interpretations of Genesis 16 and 21 taught us that this is Abraham and Sarah’s story—Hagar is just a prop. Womanist theology, on the other hand, brings Hagar to the center and reclaims Genesis 16 and 21 as her story. In this reading, Hagar is the main character—the oppressed, outcast, exploited, Egyptian, enslaved, woman Hagar is at the center. 

In the first week (Genesis 16:1-6), we discussed how Hagar fleeing to the wilderness (escaping violence from Sarah and Abraham) was an act of her stepping into her own agency and autonomy. The second week (Genesis 21:8-21), we explored how Hagar and Ishmael surviving in the wilderness showed God’s solidarity with the oppressed. The third week we dove into Hagar uniquely hearing from God and naming God El-Roi (“the God who sees me”) in the wilderness and how her having this divine interaction flips the script of power. 

Each night we break into small groups and discuss the teaching. In a breakout group on the third week, a member shared his realization that when these passages are read through a womanist lens, “Hagar is the hero.” His words struck me so deeply. Hagar is the hero. 

Womanist theologians have led us to understand the divine agency, power, and survival of Hagar. While so many people have claimed Abraham to be a patriarchal hero of their faith, we get to choose our heroes. We get to say no: it is actually Hagar. The woman who was in fact sexually exploited by Abraham. She is our hero. She is the one who hears God in the wilderness. She is the one who uniquely gives God a name no other person, no other man, has given God.

Not only is Hagar at the center of this story, but she really is the hero. 

As we each wander and wonder in the wilderness—knowing where we have come from, but not always knowing where we are going—may we look to Hagar as a pillar of our faiths. Hagar—who experienced inhumane oppression—found agency. Hagar—a mother cast out and watching over her son—survived. Hagar—in a wilderness full of the unknown—was spoken to by God and gave God a name.