Community

In 1623, English poet John Donne, wrote, “no man is an island, entire of itself; every man (person) is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Donne was comparing people to countries and arguing for “the interconnectedness of all people with God.“  Donne meant all people, not just Jews alone, or Christians alone, or Muslims alone, but all people.  Long before Donne, Jesus said the same.  Donne, living in the 17th century, suggested that no one suffers alone, and being aware of another’s pain only makes us stronger and more able to live.  Donne was talking about “community.”  Is anyone talking about “community” these days?  

“The painful, fearful, wonderful message of the modern world,” wrote Elizabeth O’Connor (singing the refrain of Jesus and John Donne) “is that we are members one of the other, and that we cannot live if we are not in communion with each other,”   Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke and wrote about the creation of the beloved community as the only hope for mankind (not just for Christians, not just for Jews, not just for Muslims, not just for white, or black or brown people, citizens or migrants, but for all people).  

Jean Vanier, in his book “Community and Growth” writes that one of the most meaningful passages in the Bible is Hosea 2:23:  “And I will say…’You are my people;’ and he shall say ‘Thou art my God.’”  Jesse Jackson delivering a speech some years ago, said “My people are humiliated.”  Mother Theresa of Calcutta said, “My people are hungry.”  “My people” is the hallmark of the beloved community—whether we are near of far away—all are “my people”—my brothers and sisters, and they are written within us.  We are to carry them, and they, us.  “My people” means that they are mine as I am theirs. 

Community is created when we make the transition from “a community for myself” to “myself for the community,” when each person’s heart is opening to all others, without exception.  It is a movement from egoism to love, from death to resurrection; it is Easter, the passover of the Lord.  

Is anyone talking about “community” these days?  “No man is an island, entire of itself; every person is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…”  No nation is an island, entire of itself…every nation is part of the main….