Donne revisited

A conversation with Lian Jen two days ago helped me recall where it was that I came across the line "I am involved in mankind." Turns out it was John Donne's 'Meditation XVII' from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions:

No man is an island entire of itself; 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.

And the Olde English Version:

No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.


In our conversation, we also turned to the topic of gay marriage. It dawned upon me that, while people tend to share values, sometimes it seems like they preach opposites simply because of misconceptions and preconceptions.

It was somewhat providential that I read Dallas Willard's thoughts on non-condemnation in his 'Divine Conspiracy' earlier that afternoon, in which he points out that when Jesus spoke of 'judging not' because of the plank in our eye, that plank is not some inherent weakness or blind spot, but in fact the act of condemnation itself.

Lian Jen is for gay marriage; I am not. It seems so difficult, these days, to uphold absolute right on wrong on the one hand, and yet maintain a spirit of non-condemnation. And many who mean well, end up bringing more hurt than help. Again, it is like the man who tried to safe fish from drowning by pulling them out onto land.

But Jesus did it. No one was and is or ever will be more morally upright and unflinching than he, and yet no one was more widely accepted as a friend by virtually every level of society. Would that we, his followers, could emulate that.

Honestly, I don't know what Jesus would say about these moral dilemmas plaguing today's society, let alone how he would say it. But I do believe his spirit of love would be more powerful and pervasive than anything we could throw at it.