COVID-19 Archives | Philip Yancey

John Donne Redone

Philip Yancey — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 08:41:01 +0000

I have an ancient poet to thank for my first book. During my mid-twenties, while serving as the editor of Campus Life magazine, I came across John Donne’s book Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. I knew of Donne from fragments taught in high school—“No man is an island…”; “for whom the bell tolls…”—but I almost avoided ... Read more

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A Time to Weep

Philip Yancey — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 06:16:32 +0000

Some days—September 11, December 7—forever stain our mental calendars, and this year March 11 joined those “days of infamy.” The date marked not only the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a pandemic but also the tenth anniversary of a tsunami that devastated a coastal region of Japan. The tsunami surge did its damage quickly ... Read more

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The Surprising Gift of Solitude

Philip Yancey — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 08:46:56 +0000

For me, one scene captures the manifold tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic. A friend named Dan was already suffering from Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder that affects thinking and reasoning as well as muscle control. Once a college football hero, now Dan could no longer negotiate steps or even figure out how to sit ... Read more

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Passover, Easter, and COVID-19

Philip Yancey — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 07:30:21 +0000

On Wednesday and Thursday nights last week, as Jews gathered in some virtual way around the Seder feast, they asked, “How is this night different from all other nights?” Christians would do well to reflect similarly. The Jewish celebration of Passover and the Christian celebration of Holy Week overlapped this year. Both traditions recall dark ... Read more

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