As for Ishmael, I am heeding you. (Genesis 17:20) Imagine a military general designing a new offensive strategy for his troops. But before he goes public, he briefs one of his enlisted soldiers on the details. What if the soldier had the moxie to propose a change in his plans—and the general followed his advice? That might seem exceptionally democratic, wouldn’t it? Now imagine a similar thing happening between God and one of us. It would seem almost absurd! But this is the scenario that plays out in today’s first reading. God had promised to bless Sarah’s offspring, but Abraham just couldn’t see how it was going to happen. For years they tried to conceive a child, but to no avail. So he made a counterproposal: Bless Ishmael instead. Now here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of vetoing Abraham’s proposal, God actually considers it and alters his plan. He sticks to his original promise, but he also honors Abraham’s request and promises blessings on Ishmael. This story shows us...