As all of you should know, unless you're morons or you don't have a calendar (but if you're reading this, you're on a computer with internet access and can find out the date easily enough, so moron is really the only option here), it's Halloween. Om nom nom nom. However, unless you're one of those godless Protestant types, you might not know that it's also Reformation Sunday, which commemorates the nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of the cathedral in Wittenberg.
Luther was an interesting figure, to be sure. His intention wasn't to split Christendom into warring factions, but to bring the Church back to its original mission - and let's be honest here, the Church had certainly strayed. He was (and is) a divisive figure, a brilliant scholar, and also a little crazy. My favorite crazy Luther tidbit is something I read in one of his letters when I was writing a Music History paper on the theological significance of the Lutheran chorales. He was discussing Satan (as he was wont to do) and basically making the point that we always have to do the exact opposite of what we think Satan wants. His example: if I think Satan wants me to stop drinking, I go right ahead and have several more - because it's better to fall into some small sin of excess than to align with the Devil's wishes.
I just get this mental image of Luther standing near a pile of smoldering wreckage and ash and saying, "But I had to burn down that orphanage, you see, because Satan told me not to!" Obviously, they didn't have a concept of reverse psychology at the time.
So, here's to you, Martin Luther. You certainly weren't a perfect man, but you had the courage to stand up for what you believed was right, even though you were threatened with all sorts of earthly and divine punishments - and that's something we should all be able to respect. And besides, if you hadn't split up the Church, it would be a lot more crowded in heaven right now - and we Catholics like to have some leg room.
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