Hope for the children in our midst

Homily – Sunday, the 25th June

Reading: Genesis 21:8-21

We began our service today singing Hope for the Children in Our Midst

Hope for the children in our midst,

facing a world that’s conflict torn.

All that they ask is time to grow,

And live the years for which they’re born.

Hope for the children everywhere,

We’ll build with them a world of peace.

Rumours of war sound everywhere,

Wondering if there’s chance for peace.

Yet for all children that we love,

We will not yield ‘til hate shall cease.

But the question is when will hate cease and how will hate cease

Have we seriously thought of children in our midst

Children who are forced to be migrants seeking refuge in alien lands

Children who live in conflict zones

Children who face malnutrition and hunger

Children trafficked

Children living as labourers

Children who are not able to live their lives- victims of drugs/porn

Children facing cyber bullying

Children who live in conflict torn homes

Children abused- emotionally and physically

Children who live in poverty

The list can go on

How do we bring hope to them and who should bring hope to them.

Hope amidst situations of hopelessness.

Today we closely look at a particular moment in the life of Hagar.

Last week we read about the birth or Isaac. This made life difficult for Hagar and her child and Abraham decided to send them away into the wilderness with some bread and a skin of water which soon were consumed. In the parching heat Hagar could not find the next step

The Scripture says

When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

Water in the Skin Was Gone

The little resources that were left were depleted. Can you imagine the pain of a mother left with no resources to fend for the children. In any war and violence the most vulnerable are the women and children, specially the marginalised ones.

Having to work as a house-maid, having to bear the child of her master and now when the fortunes of the masters home changed having to wander in the wilderness

Hagar lives in and around us even today

She takes different names, different tags

But her inner groaning remains the same

Casting the Child under a bush and Sitting a good way off

Having given up all hope to save the child she has a desperate prayer

Do not let me look at the death of the child

Imagine mothers having to see the death of their children in front of their eyes

She lifted up her voice and wept

This morning we take a close look at those tears

Tears rolling down the eyes of Hagar

The silver line that reminds of constant tears

Now let us look around us

Do we see the wailing of mothers

Disguised behind the smiles of many of us, isn’t there weeping

Weeping looking at our own lives
Weeping for our children

Weeping for our dear ones

Do we hear the weeping of children around us

Let us take a look at this painting of August Friedrich Schenck.

This 1878 oil painting depicting an anguished mother sheep standing near the ewe surrounded by waiting crows is now in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. A dull grey cloudy winter sky provides the perfect setting for the crows waiting to scavage the soon to be carcass- a depiction of the opportunist society. The mothers breath is freezing in cold air and a tickle of blood is oozing into the white snow from the ewe’s mouth.

I remember the curator of the Melbourne gallery asking me- do you see the gap between the two crows that gives us a clear view of the bleating mother? That’s where the viewer becomes participant in the painting. Another one of the crows watching the pain of the dying child and the wailing mother, asking within- what can be peck off?

I remember a young child responding is that not the space for us to run in and save the ewe if we still can

The Response

Now lets see what the scripture says

God heard the cry of the child

An Angel of God called to Hagar

What troubles you Hagar?

Do Not be Afraid

God has heard the cry of the boy where he is

Hold him fast- I will make him a great nation

We spoke about the Voices of Hagar reverberating around us today. People suffering from injustices of manifold natures, from migrant workers to miners, teachers to students, paperless people to documented foreigners, victims of our apathy to economic injustice and violence against nature.

In each of these voices we see the pain of Hagar taking new form and the same reality played out over and over again

Do not be afraid, God has heard the cry

Just hold on to the boy

Do not give up as yet

God heard

And an angel of the Lord reached out to her- What troubles you Hagar?

Proverbs 12: 25 reads- Anxiety weighs down the human heart but a good word cheers them up.

Calling you by name and just asking “What’s happening?” is in itself therapeutic and comforting.

And then what happened

God Opened her Eyes

She saw a well of water. She went, filled the skin with water and gave the boy to drink.

It is interesting to note that the water was already there, but she could not see it

Now God opens her eyes so that she could SEE

See that there is now possibility of a new future

There is hope for the children in our midst

A new world is surely coming

I can hear it

I can smell it

I can feel it

I will one day see it

That’s hope

Friends as a church we are called to be heralds of this future

The future we are waiting for is coming soon.

We are reminded today that we are called to be the Messengers of God

I, the Lord of sea and sky,

I have heard my people cry.

All who dwell in deepest sin

My hand will save.

I who made the stars of night,

I will make their darkness bright.

Who will bear my light to them?

Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.

Vinod Victor

July 25, 2023