The words by the 17th century poet-pastor John Donne were familiar—“No man is an island.” I first read this poem at the suggestion of my college English professor. Since then I’ve read the book by Thomas Merton with that title, and listened to a number of songs based on Donne’s words—a folk version by Joan Baez, a choral piece sung in church, even a reggae version by Dennis Brown.
On September 11, 2001, the words came back.
