For Whom the Bell Tolls

"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 if a manor of thy friend's 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's Meditation no. 17 from "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (1624)

A bell, once rung does not, cannot take back the sound that many hear. Recent events brought this principle to mind. It is common for people say and/or do rash things that affect many others with consequences they did not either foresee or have concern for in their desire to satisfy self. We are all connected, one way or another, our actions, and choices leave an imprint on those standing close to the action, the splash zone, if you will.

No man is an island. We did not come into this world on our own, our life leaving a shadow on many others. Yet, we often make decisions as if we were the only one concerned. The quote above reflects the author's insight of this concept. In our Christian faith, we read in scripture that we are one body as the church, the Bride of Christ. It seems as though our one body suffers from seizures with pieces and parts flinging about independently. We can easily see that when the left foot wants to head to the right and the right foot wants to head to the left that we will end up on our collective derriere in short order if we abandon consideration and cooperation.

I am not saying we should not think for ourselves, heavens no! However, I am saying that before we go about tossing boulders into the lake we need consider those touched by the ripples, which inevitably radiate out in all directions. It need not be a boulder; the smallest of pebbles has the same effect.

Does this not then make it even more important that we think of the whole rather than oneself? I, for one, am eternally thankful that Christ considered all humanity before stepping away from his place of honor and deity in exchange for a body of flesh, sacrificing self to redeem our miserable souls. Yet, we often balk at the smallest of considerations; we want what we want and we are willing to defend our right to have what we want regardless of how anyone else may be affected. Not a Christ-like mentality, is it?

A bell, once rung, cannot recall the sound that reverberates throughout our lives. A harsh word will ring in the ear of the receiver long after the tongue responsible has forgotten. A breech of faith, trust, and/or integrity leaves scars on relationships from the slow healing process. We are blessed to have a God that forgives and forgets. We are instructed to forgive so we can be forgiven. The human heart and flesh are less malleable; forgiveness is a conscious decision, though the repair to relationships comes with a need for rebuilding. Our priority need be to consider those concerned before pulling the rope that swings the bell; consider 'for whom the bell tolls'.........