“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the LORD has listened to your affliction.
[12] He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
[13] So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
There are moments in Scripture that feel quiet, almost easily missed.
No crowds.No miracles in the dramatic sense.No public teaching.
Just a person — alone, unseen, and pushed to the margins.
In Genesis 16, that person is Hagar.
She is not the central figure of the wider story. She is not in a position of power. She is not the one through whom the main promise will unfold.
And yet, in this moment, she encounters God.
Seen in the Wilderness
Hagar’s situation is one of displacement.
She has been mistreated.She has been sent away.She finds herself in the wilderness — physically and socially.
The wilderness in Scripture is often a place of isolation. It represents distance from security, from community, from provision.
It is here, in this place, that God meets her.
Not in the centre.Not in the place of influence.But on the margins.
The First to Name God
Hagar responds in a remarkable way.
She gives God a name:
“You are a God of seeing.”
This is the first time in Scripture that a person gives God a name in this way.
And it comes not from someone prominent, but from someone overlooked.
This matters.
It reveals something about God’s character — not only that he sees, but who he sees.
The Overlooked Are Not Invisible
In human systems, people can become invisible.
Those without status.Those without influence.Those who do not fit expectations.
They may be present, but not noticed. Included in theory, but not in practice.
Hagar’s story challenges this.
She is seen.Her situation is known.Her experience is not ignored.
God’s attention does not follow human hierarchies.
Seeing as Recognition
To be seen is more than to be observed.
It is to be recognised.
It is to have one’s experience acknowledged.One’s situation understood.One’s presence affirmed.
Hagar is not treated as incidental. She is addressed directly.
Her reality is not dismissed or minimised.
The God Who Sees and Responds
God’s seeing is not passive.
He does not simply observe. He engages.
He speaks to Hagar.He gives instruction.He provides direction.
Seeing leads to action.
This is important.
Recognition without response is incomplete.True seeing involves care.
The Challenge for Us
If God sees the overlooked, what does that mean for us?
It challenges our attention.
Who do we fail to notice?Who exists on the edges of our awareness?Who is present but not truly seen?
Inclusion begins with attention.
The Limits of Our Perspective
We are limited in what we notice.
We see through our own experience, our own priorities, our own assumptions.
This means that people can be overlooked unintentionally.
Hagar’s story reminds us that our perspective is not complete.
We need to be attentive.We need to listen.We need to look beyond what is immediately obvious.
Seeing in Everyday Life
Seeing the overlooked does not require dramatic action.
It begins with small practices:
- noticing who is not being heard,
- paying attention to those on the margins,
- creating space for others to be recognised.
These actions may seem simple. But they change environments.
Inclusion Begins With Seeing
Before systems can include, people must be seen.
Before access can be created, presence must be acknowledged.
Seeing is the first step.
Without it, exclusion continues unnoticed.
The Value of Every Person
Hagar’s encounter affirms something fundamental:
Every person matters.
Not because of role, status, or position.But because they are seen by God.
This value is not assigned by systems. It is inherent.
Reflecting God’s Character
To see as God sees is to reflect his character.
It is to pay attention where others overlook.To recognise where others dismiss.To care where others move past.
This is not easy. It requires intention.
Carrying This Forward
As May continues, accessibility and inclusion are explored in both technical and practical ways.
But this truth underpins it all:
Inclusion begins with seeing.Seeing leads to care.Care reflects God’s character.
The Invitation
Where might we need to look again?
Who might we need to notice?What might we be overlooking?
These questions invite us to expand our attention.
Because the God who sees the overlookedcalls us to see differently too.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright © Crossway.