"No Man is an Island"

I first came to know this term through the movie, About a Boy, which is a movie that I love with music that I also adore (the entire soundtrack is by Badly Drawn Boy). In this movie there is a man who is doing everything he can to not be connected with other people. He believes himself to be an island. Everything in his life is self-absorbed and shallow, until of course a troubled adolescent comes to his rescue. The movie aside, I find the quote to be really interesting. No man is an Island was originally written in the 1600's by a man named John Donne, who was a poet and a clergyman in England.

The term originally came from a meditation he had, and became a poem entitled "For Whom the Bell Tolls." You might recognize this as a Hemingway novel. The poem is a reflection on how each person is somehow connected to each other person. Donne uses the imagery of the continent, and how every clod that is washed away effects the continent--makes it smaller, less of a continent. In the same way every person's death "diminishes me because I am involved in" humanity. (Donne's words, I believe).

Each person is connected to each other person. There is no way around it. Sometimes the connections are really strong, like with your family or friends. Sometimes the connection has a negative impact on you. Sometimes the connection is unnoticed completely, but it is there. We are all connected with one another. The Buddhist call this the "not two doctrine" because they don't want to say we are one, but we're not two either. In Christian terms, we are all connect through the love God has for us which was expressed in creation, in the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are all connected in God, "in whom we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). The Divine life is present all around us and connects us all one to each other. These connection in Christ through the Holy Spirit can become more intentional through actions such as communion, and recognizing this communion with others even who are not present at the table during your worship service. This can become more intentional by reach out to others and coming to share in life that is lived in Christ. And recognizing that every time you break connection or use that connection inappropriately it doesn't just harm that person, but it hurts all of us. We are all connected for better or worse, and sometimes we are really good at the for worse part. Do what you can to make it better?

Peace,

mark

I found the poem here: http://www.poetry-online.org/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm

Hat tip to a girl from my first youth group (you know who you are...maybe)

One of the first youth groups I lead was in a tiny church, and I only really did things with 3-5 students at most. I have found some of these students on Facebook, and one said student had a really interesting quote on her about me box. She wrote, "Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active." I know that I tried to teach her this, but don't worry I'm not taking credit.

It was awesome to see how an 8th grade girl has grown up into a mature thoughtful Christian adult. The quote is very insightful, so let's ponder it for a second. Believing in something is a very passive thing. All it takes is consent to the existence of an idea. I can believe in anything without really doing anything about it. I believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, New Coke (that was a mistake), and the tooth fairy, but I didn't have to do anything other than acknowledge the idea of these things. Belief is not enough.

But once you put your belief into action, then you have faith. Faith is something the should permeate your entire being. Faith requires you to have those belief but then act on them. Sometimes these belief may need to modified along the way, but you don't know that unless you put them to the test through acting. Faith becomes the way you live your life.

Here is a silly example. "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" features Linus who believes in the Great Pumpkin. Linus does something with this belief though. He actually goes out into a pumpkin patch to wait for the raise of the Great Pumpkin. Although the Great Pumpkin doesn't make an appearance, Linus still had faith in him. Linus didn't passively consent to the existence of the Great Pumpkin, but actively lived out his belief by sitting all night in the pumpkin patch.

Are you willing to have true faith? Are you willing to take your beliefs and put them into practice? Do your beliefs permeate your being and inform the way you live? Have active faith, not passive beliefs. Don't just consent, but act!

Peace,

mark

I would like to thank Allison and Charles Schultz for the inspiration for this post.