October 31st

“I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of Hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth.” — Martin Luther

October 31st is obviously a day that is stuck in the American psyche as being a day of holiday and celebration. When growing up we were not allowed to listen to rock music, watch R movies, or hang out with kids that did. No dancing, no movie theatres, and definitely nothing that was even remotely Satanic or demonic in nature… except Halloween. Legalism oft times has such a humorous irony. But I am thankful for that heritage, and thankful we were allowed to celebrate Halloween. (I turned out ok… relatively so, at least.)

It wasn’t until Seminary that I realized this day is cause for another sort of celebration too. Four-hundred and eighty-eight years ago, the religious world was rocked to its foundation, and in so doing changed forever…

The year was 1517. An unassuming 33-year-old monk was about to seal his place in history with a piece of paper, mallet and a nail. During his lifetime Columbus had sailed, Michelangelo had sculpted the Pieta and begun work on David, and the Canterbury Cathedral (a 430-year construction project) was completed. In this milieu of political, artistic, religious change Pope Julius II began raising funds for the renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome through the sale of indulgences.

About to be catapulted onto the world’s stage, Martin Luther sat down to pen a list of reasons why the Papacy had no power or authority to apply the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints to those in Purgatory. Luther hated it, believing that indulgences did nothing to save souls and only lined the pockets of the clergy. Because he believed that they also exonerated deeds not yet committed, they also encouraged sin.

Upon finishing, Luther had completed a lengthy academic list of 95 statements outlining the theological problems and calling for an open debate.

On October 31st, 1517, he approached the door of the castle’s Church of All Saints in Wittenberg and hammered the list of 95 Thesis to it. Can’t you hear the thud of the mallet echoing throughout the city? The World? Soon they were widely copied and printed; within two weeks they spread throughout Germany, and within two months throughout Europe.

Luther’s controversial beliefs eventually earned him excommunication from the Church… but many followed him, causing a schism between the Catholics and the protesting churches (or Protestants, as they are called today).

Luther went on to produce the first reader-friendly German translation of the Bible, remember, up until this time a personal copy of the Bible was a privilege only the clergy typically had. Luther even developed a new form of Christian worship that emphasized preaching and popular hymns, permitted the clergy to marry, and honored ordinary life in the world as a field for God’s service.

Yes, for all intents and purposes The Reformation began on this day 488 years ago. And we owe much of our religious, and political, freedom to this regrounding of Christendom into the doctrine of the Bible, rather than the history, traditions, and excesses of the Catholic Church.

Oh to God that he would allow me, and others, to have the kind of discernment, knowledge, and courage that a 33-year-old man had.