Going to the Well:
The Journey That Becomes the Destination
The day before the opening of duck season, a couple of shooters called into the cellar door to taste a few wines. They were filling in time, waiting for the season to begin, and I was winding down after a busy day in the vineyard. They sampled a few of our wines and beers, bought a couple to take with them, and we chatted as they sipped. There was no rush.
What struck me wasn’t their enthusiasm for duck-shooting itself, but the easy camaraderie between them—the playful banter, the tradition of heading out together each year, the anticipation of the nephew and other family members joining them. The more we talked, the more obvious it became: this w asn’t really about the ducks. It was about something deeper.
I was reminded of a quote from Henry David Thoreau: “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it’s not the fish they are after.” It’s a simple truth, but one that runs deep.
The Well That Sustains Us
We often think we’re heading toward a goal, that we’re working, striving, or preparing for something in the future. But sometimes, the thing we believe is just sustenance for the journey turns out to be the very destination itself.
The political writer Hannah Arendt reflected on this in her later lectures, using the image of a well. She described how a political community can feel parched and exhausted, as though they are journeying toward some unknown destination. But what sustains them along the way, what keeps them going, is the well they carry with them—the shared values, the need for one another, the sense of belonging. They lower their bucket, draw from its depths, and nurture themselves along the way. And in doing so, they come to realise something profound: the well itself is the goal they were always pursuing.
Ancient Wisdom – The Wells That Shape Us
There is something timeless about wells. They are places of sustenance, of gathering, of unexpected encounters. In ancient times, a well was a meeting place, a source of life, a site of transformation.
One of the most powerful biblical stories about wells is found in John’s Gospel, where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). She comes, like so many before her, simply to draw water—just another daily task. But in that moment, something deeper happens. She encounters Jesus, and their conversation transforms her understanding of herself, her past, and the kind of life she is truly seeking.
She arrives expecting to fill her jar, but she leaves with something far greater. The water she came for turns out to be secondary. What she truly needed—what she had been longing for without realising it—was living water, a deeper well of meaning, purpose, and renewal.
More Than Just Something to Keep Us Going
We see this play out in so many areas of life. People join a club, a team, or a church thinking they are going there to be nourished, to be strengthened for whatever comes next. But over time, they come to see that the gathering itself, the shared conversations, the rituals and traditions, are what matter most.
Faith communities often experience this paradox. We think we worship, pray, or serve in order to sustain our faith, to help us live out a Christian life. But what if these very acts are the faith journey itself? The relationships, the moments of shared grace and learning, the habits of generosity and love—these are not just preparation for something greater. They are the something greater.
Finding the Well in Everyday Life
That’s what those duck-shooters reminded me of. It wasn’t about the ducks. It wasn’t even about the sport. It was about something deeper—connection, tradition, the bond of family and friendship. The well they were drawing from was not some distant reward at the end of their outing. It was right there, in the laughter, the storytelling, the familiar rhythm of an annual tradition.
And isn’t that the way it is with faith? We think we’re searching for something distant, something that will come later—a deeper spirituality, a clearer sense of God’s presence, a stronger faith. But all along, we are already drinking from the well. We find God in the gathering, in the breaking of bread, in the words of love and encouragement shared between us.
Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst” (John 4:14). This well never runs dry.
We don’t just go to the well for sustenance—we go because it is life itself.
That’s the gospel, and it’s good news!
Brian Spencer, Minister, Waranga Uniting Churches