“No man is an island, entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. …
any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,
and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee”
(John Donne, Meditation 17).

The Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral wrote these timeless words as part of a longer meditation during a personal, nearly fatal, illness.  His own mortality underscored his link to the wider human family.  When the London church bells rang to signal another death, Donne recognized that a part of himself died as well … “No man is an island.”

The namesake of Donne’s cathedral, the apostle Paul, also wrote words of our interconnectedness: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4, New International Version).  Paul envisioned a church where believers focused more on what others needed than on their own preferences or opinions … “No man is an island.”

Ultimately, Christ Himself commanded us to act on our interwovenness: “… Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, NIV).  Faith places us in a bilateral world, where love for others is measured by love for ourselves.  The word “neighbor” indicates anyone whose path we have come near.  The person may be a believer or unbeliever, friend or enemy, Democrat or Republican, Boomer or Millennial, Facebook friend or close family member.  The internet has created a world where our neighbors can live across the globe.

In these days of self-protection, our well-being ironically depends on the altruism of other people.  Before we speak, before we post, before we walk out the door, our next act should depend on what is best for others.  Our heath care workers express this well in their context: “We stay here for you, please stay home for us!”  Adapted for all of us: “I make decisions to protect you, please do the same for me.”

In a COVID-19 world, where isolation is the new abnormal, the words still rings true: … “No man is an island.”

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