The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp
Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Gift of Being Seen
Read Chapter 4 of The Broken Way. Key passages: Genesis 16:13 (El Roi — 'the God who sees me'); Luke 19:1–10 (Zacchaeus).
Previewing Week 5 of The Broken Way
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
This chapter slows down to ask one of the most tender questions in the book: what does it do to a person to be truly seen — by God, and by another human being?
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Voskamp reflects on Hagar's name for God in the wilderness: El Roi — 'You are the God who sees me.' She argues that being seen is one of the deepest hungers of the human soul. Do you agree? Where in your life do you most feel unseen or invisible?
2.She distinguishes between being observed (noticed for our performance or our usefulness) and being seen (known in our actual state, including our brokenness). Where in your daily life are you mostly observed rather than seen? How does that feel over time?
3.Voskamp writes about the practice of giving someone your full, unhurried attention as an act of love — a form of seeing. She calls this a gift that costs nothing materially but everything in terms of presence. How well do you offer that kind of attention? What typically interrupts it?