About the Work
“Wanderer’s Blessing” takes its text from two biblical letters. In the first, the prophet Jeremiah relates God’s promises to the people of Judah taken into captivity by the Babylonians. God urges them to take this opportunity to build new lives: to plant gardens, find spouses, grow their families, and seek God with all their heart. In turn, God assures that there is a plan and a future for them: they will be delivered from their exile. In the second letter, the imprisoned apostle Paul urges the believers in Colossae to persevere, serve each other, and reflect Christ’s love in their daily interactions.
We can apply this advice to our roles as spouses and siblings, parents and children, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. On a certain level, we, like the 6th-century BC Judahites or the 1st-century AD Colossians, can often feel like wanderers in our own lives, roaming aimlessly, spiritually or even physically homeless. When facing the unknowns of new circumstances, we should not despair but instead revel in hope and be thankful for what we have. With help, we can build new, beautiful lives from the humblest beginnings.
“Wanderer’s Blessing” was commissioned by Annemarie and Bernie Boehnlein and premiered by Natalie, Annemarie, Alyssa, and Matt Boehnlein at St. Olaf College’s Urness Recital Hall on January 18, 2018.
