Stumbling upon a mission. Reflection on a chance encounter in a field. (Genesis 37:16-18)

Here is a new poem or lyric for a song yet to be written. It is based on the story of Joseph being sent on a mission by his father to find his brothers. He met a man who changed the course of his life.
Genesis 37:16-18

…16He said, "I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock." 17Then the man said, "They have moved from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.18When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.…

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Stumbling On A Mission
(c) Rabbi Joe Black
December, 2014

He was wandering: Alone in the field
On a mission from his father- it's purpose unrevealed.
Joseph walked along a path that would change his life for good
But he had lost all of his bearings in this distant neighborhood.

He stumbled on a man who asked "why do you look so bleak?"
He said "I'm looking for my brothers - It is my destiny I seek.
The stranger looked at him - seized him up with kind demeanor
"They have left here and have moved on to pastures that are greener
You can join them if you want to - but your road will not be smooth
Or you could run away right now - and never learn the truth."

At this defining moment
at this place in time
When lives all come together
with purpose intertwined
We never know the reason
Or the meaning of our quest
But, in looking back at our journey we can see that we were blessed.

He found his brothers pasturing their flocks in Dothan
When they saw him coming towards them with his colored jacket on
They remembered how they loathed his childhood tales of domination
Anger, jealousy and distance were a lethal combination
They grabbed him and they threw him in a pit so dark and deep
They wanted to destroy his dreams that robbed them of their sleep.

At this defining moment
at this place in time
When lives all come together
with purpose intertwined
We may never know the reasons
Or the meaning of our quest
But, in looking back at our journey we can see that we were blessed.

What if the stranger never told him of his brothers' altered course?
What if his siblings never sold him, or had done him something worse?
Would the telling of their stories change the way we saw the world
Would our narratives be different as our history unfurled?

As we contemplate our journeys and the people whom we meet
As we number every day and pass by strangers in the street
Remember that our words, our deeds, the way we treat each other
Could change the world for better - or pit brother against brother.