mercy on me

There's a sadness in the story of Hagar and her son by Abraham. On one hand, she's a mistress and guilty of the sin of adultery (a sin whose vileness is trumped by few other sins in my mind). The fate of both her and her son, however unfortunate, can be seen in the light of sin-consequence-just reward.

On the other hand, she's a faithful servant to Sarah and only following her master's order when she becomes impregnated (it wasn't like Abraham was some great catch at the age of 75). She is a loving mother, turned out, who can't bear to watch the fate of her son, not remotely thinking about her own similar end. Their fates can be seen in the light of sin-forgiveness-mercy.

Hagar cries out to God. Which hand does God choose? Mercy, of course. There's a lesson in this story of an archer and his mom that doesn't get heard enough.