For whom the bell tolls

No, not Hemingway. John Donne. For the full text, see Meditation XVII. In Relief Society today, we discussed what are probably the most quoted lines: "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."

We related this to the lesson, of course, which was "Love thy neighbor as thyself." We began and ended with these lines, and I had some thoughts as we ended that I wanted to share. Too bad we ran out of time there, but I have time here. :)

We discussed the obvious: the bell tolls for thee because nothing can happen to your neighbor without it in some way affecting you. When a piece of mankind is lost, in a way you lose a piece of yourself.

As the lesson ended, however, and we heard the words once more, "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," I couldn't help thinking that it could also be a call to action. In many cases, the bell tolling did represent someone's loss. But it could also be considered a cry for help. It tolls for thee (or it tolls for me!) could mean that you (I!) am being asked to step up in someone else's loss and offer those things that he or she needs most--whether it be a shoulder to cry on, a physical gift, or any other offering of love. The bell tolls for me not just because I should feel sorrow, but because I can offer service to those who may be hurting most. The bell tolls to alert us to the needs of others. In this way, we can truly be involved in mankind!

I have liked John Donne's writing since I was first introduced to a piece or two (including this one, of course!) in high school. I like his expressions of faith and the sense that he truly was involved in mankind. I am grateful for the many examples of Christianity who have gone before, and I hope that I can also develop these Christlike attributes and show greater charity to those with whom I come in contact.