Erstwhile Days

In the days of old, there was a word used that is no longer. It indicated that one was on a journey and that their journey was in good hands; not that it was easy or even in one’s full control, but that it was rooted in the purpose of their life and somehow rooted in eternity – beyond one’s comprehension.

It seems complex, but it’s what made the adventure so exciting. That someone had callings or desires that they are pursuing, nevertheless they are a part of a bigger cause – the biggest cause. They would never understand the journey because there was always an eternal element to it.

It seems complex, but it’s what made the adventure so exciting. That someone had callings or desires that they are pursuing, nevertheless they are a part of a bigger cause – the biggest cause. They would never understand the journey because there was always an eternal element to it.

In other words, the world did not revolve around them, but it certainly involved them.

And because it was not all about them, the timing on their journey can seem off. Peril and disaster could strike at any moment. Days of confusion and suffering could turn into weeks. Weeks to months. Months to years. There was no guarantee for tomorrow; the day has enough trouble on its own.

This word was the essence of adventure. Of mystery. Of destiny.

This word?

Godspeed

But it’s no longer used today.

A Journey Worth Embarking On

It was used when parting from someone’s presence as a ‘farewell’ but not indicating a guarantee that the person was going to fair well. It indicated that the person was on a journey of significant purpose, but it was by no means safe or timely or in their hands. They were in divine hands because, in the end, a journey that we can have control of is not much of a journey. That’s an errand.

Yet, that is all we want today – to go straight to the destination. Route by GPS. An easy linear graph. Something within our control that we can guide to the destination. It’s to have a ship with a motor rather than a ship with a sail.

Sailing is difficult. It requires work, patience, skill, and one is not fully in control. It’s working with an external force. It’s exhilarating because it’s adventurous; to travel the world with sails is an adventure; to travel the world with a motor is a cruise.

In modernity, we want a cruise! It’s all about us and our pleasure. Sit back, relax, and put on autopilot as we indulge. We think we want an easy journey.

But I’m not convinced that is what our souls yearn for. It’s often what we think we want today, but deep down, our souls yearn for adventure. Our souls long for the excitement of pressing onward somewhere with purpose. Somewhere so purposeful that there is no better path; likewise, a path so adventurous that we have no choice but to trust beyond ourselves.

It’s a journey where the adventurer seeks divine help because there is no better help worth seeking.

That’s ‘God.’

Then there is ‘speed.’

It indicates that the journey will be done in certain time God’s time – that one the adventurer must seek help from. This slams in the face of our culture today because we want it microwaved. We want to have it our way. But the best things in life are not about us, because we are only so great, and, like a fine wine, the best things take time.

But who can wait for God’s time? Who has the patience? It’s an impossible task. It’s like saying a war will end when you have been in the trenches for 3 years with no end in sight – who would have the never to say such a thing. The hardest challenges seem like they will never end, and that’s the point – it’s what makes them hard.

Therefore, that adventure will be the most difficult, because those moments of suffering, confusion, and chaos will happen at a speed that we can’t determine. It’s a speed that doesn’t seem very speedy at all.

The Question

Why would we use the word today? To trust someone other than ourselves who is greater than us because we can’t do it on our own? And to go at a pace that is outside of our control so that suffering and rejoicing could happen at any moment?

When you put it that way, it sounds terrible. But when you think about it, it sounds like a great adventure.

Godspeed.