Devotions by John Donne (paraphrased by Philip Yancey)

This Trinity Forum Reading features excerpts of Philip Yancey’s book A Companion in Crisis, in which he artfully paraphrases John Donne’s Devotions and connects its lessons to the lasting effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

While serving as the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, John Donne preached regularly amidst the Great Plague that swept London. He spent himself on his duties until he was diagnosed with plague and confined to bed. During his time of isolation and severe illness, he kept a spiritual journal that would become the Devotions — a literary masterpiece listed among the best nonfiction works of all time.

Yancey notes in his introduction: “During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic…, I turned to Donne’s book, struck by its relevance to our modern crisis… His journal of wrestling with God is timeless, applicable not just for a crisis of illness, but for any of the crises, large or small, that we moderns face on this troubled planet. Nowhere have I found such a wise meditation on the human condition as in the journal he kept while confined to bed during a pandemic.”

As we continue to weather the effects of the pandemic, Donne’s Devotions are a fitting reminder to keep our eyes fixed on the One who brings ultimate healing and new life.