Book excerpt: As the world entered a long dark night, Philip Yancey returned to a nearly 400-year-old manuscript for guidance. In it, he found a trustworthy companion for living through a global pandemic - or any other crisis. As Yancey says: 'Nothing had prepared me for John Donne's raw account of the confrontations with God.'The preacher and poet wrote his Devotions in 1623, during a pandemic in his city of London. For a month Donne lay sick, hearing the church bell toll each death wondering if his would be next.Philip Yancey has compiled a 30-day reader based on Donne's meditations. This new version of a beloved classic has startling relevance as we face similar questions:What is God trying to tell us?Does God use illness as punishment?How do I find peace and comfort?A Companion in Crisis combines Donne's timeless reflections with present-day commentary, offering universal truths on how to live and die well.