The Poisoned Well

There's a well that's full of living water.
It can never run dry.
It gives strength to the weary,
Hope to the hopeless,
Healing to the wounded,
And grace to the broken.
It takes root in those who drink deeply,
Turning them into lesser sources
Full of that same living water.
From it come the words of life,
Connecting you to the source of all goodness.
It's available for any who seek it;
It is desperate for you to drink.

But there's another well,
One that's full of poison;
It doesn't run dry either.
It holds down the broken,
Infects the wounded,
Offers false hope,
And gives strength to those willing to take it from the hands of others.
It, too, takes root in those who drink deeply,
Turning them into brooks
That do nothing but babble words dripping with venom.
They are condescending hypocrites
Convinced of nothing more than their own righteousness.
Blinded to their own toxicity,
They think themselves a boon rather than a burden.

Worst of all?
If you saw these two wells side by side,
At a glance you might think them identical.
They both look pleasant and inviting enough.
The poison passes far too often for cool, clear water.
More confusing still, there are those who drink the water and become poisonous!
There are those who drink the poison and find life!
I wish I could explain to you why;
But, life is never that simple.

All I can be sure of is this:
The source of living water is free,
But many would rather not drink
Because they're afraid of how some who claim to be changed for the better
Seem worse off than if they'd never drank at all.