No Man Is an Island

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 18, 2024

No Man Is an Island

“Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others”

Philippians 2:4 (NRSV)

This John Donne poem has long been one of my favorites:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each 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 if a manor of thine own

Or of thine friend's were.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

John Donne (1624)

When I think of scripture passages which may have inspired Donne to write this poem, I always put these words of the Apostle Paul at the top of my list: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 NRSV). The Gospels and the New Testament epistles are quite clear in calling the followers of Jesus to live selfless lives. Too often, Christians tend to write those imperatives off as hyperbole, as evidenced by many translators rendering Paul’s words in Philippians 2:4 as, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (NLT), or “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (NKJV). Both the NRSV and the NIV translations of this passage make clear Paul’s interpretation of Jesus’ imperative from his Sermon on the Mount: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31, 33).

How can we embrace these words of Jesus, Paul (and John Donne), and incorporate them into our lives as we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life? I have found it helpful to ever keep before me this axiom:

“Until you know who you are in Christ, it is impossible to love;

all you can do is take.”

This axiom is my reminder that I can love Christ because Christ first loved me. I can be compassionate toward myself because Christ is compassionate to me. Because I am compassionate to myself, I can be compassionate to others. When I am trusting God to meet my needs, I can look not to (my) own interests, but to the interests of others.

My Takeaway: “Each man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.” John Donne lived this way (and so did Paul) because Jesus lived this way. My mission is to join them and live this way. Will you join me?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.