Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main;
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as any manner of thy friends,
Or of thine own were;
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
--John Donne
I love this poem so much. Donne, who was a pastor, poet, and survivor during the Black Death that swept London during the 14th Century, recognized the integral part each person holds in community.
I've heard an illustration in the past that says, "Put your hand into a bucket of water. Remove it and as quickly as the space that remains is filled up, that's how long you'll be missed." What a crock! What a cynical perspective.
The truth is that each person's life has great possibilities to bless others. We have a huge say in how our absence will affect others. One thing is certain: God created each of us with incredible capacity to bless our community.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." We may miss the opportunity to radiate God out from the center of our experience, but it won't be because He hasn't given forethought and preparation to the possibility.
I like Donne's thought here: another person's death IDEALLY diminishes everyone else. Because in God's purpose they were put in their community as a light for Christ. May it be so.
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