Vacuum

In a nation that celebrates mavericks and hedonism, we often fail to remember that we do not live independently of each other. As such, one's personal life may not be so personal. The words of John Donne remind us that life is not lived out in a vacuum. He stated that, "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..."

Over the weekend my hubby and I had the opportunity to attend a local production of the Arthur Miller play, "Death of a Salesman." It was my first time seeing this work and the theater company executed it beautifully. In the play, adolescent Biff Loman is derailed upon discovering that his father, whom he idolized, is having an affair with another woman. This revelation comes late in the second act. In the initial act, we'd become fairly well acquainted with Biff the young man, who has lost his way. This new information helps us finally understand that the consequences of his father's actions have left deep scars in Biff; accounting for the restless man that he has become.

As unpopular as it is, our actions are not remote. They have consequences that extend beyond ourselves effecting countless others in unforeseen ways. As such, we are very much our brothers' keeper. I pray that my life is a source of encouragement to my fellow travelers, rather than a stumbling block.