By Andrew R. Duckworth
We’ve been out here way too long
In the desert of our own,
Led by our own voice
Down a trail of loss.
Everlasting water exists,
Running in a sacred well
Nearby if we allow it,
Enough to sustain, to maintain.
Say the word and we are saved.
Say the word, Lord, and save us.
The idea of an acrostic was suggested by my wife, Addison. Ultimately, she may have had something else in mind when she told me “wilderness.” But when I think of wilderness, nowadays, I think of danger, and not just danger, but spiritual danger. There are a few notable allusions here. The first is that of the desert and the Jewish people being lost in the desert for years. The second is that of the everlasting life-giving water Christ speaks of with the woman at the well. The third is a reference to the faith of the centurion, the one who notes that he is unworthy for Christ to enter under his roof, but to say the word and his servant would be healed of paralysis. This is also a phrase commonly heard in liturgical services, during holy communion- “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” – a preparatory phrase to adequately receive the blessed sacrament, asking the Lord to prepare and make one worthy of receiving the Lord. Ultimately, the choice is ours. Will we place our faith in the Almighty? Will we trust in His will, or will we go our own path, one that any experience in the world will show leads us down an awful path?
Poetry of Andrew Ryan Duckworth 