The price of reform

It is October 20^th as I write this.  Sunday will be Reformation Sunday, and this got me to thinking about a new appreciation I gained for the impact of the Reformation while on a trip to Germany: of the changes that came from Luther’s bold move to nail a document to a church door; how that would cause the lives of many to change forever;  and things I take for granted today.

It was on this night of October 20^th 502 years ago (1518) that Luther had to flee from Augsburg where he had been summoned to recant.  After failing to be heard and refusing to recant, it was clear he would be imprisoned: and so, he fled.  To keep him from leaving, all the city exits were guarded. But with the help of local citizens, he left through a secret gate in the city walls in the dark of night.  And the movement continued that we now call the Reformation.

I hadn’t appreciated the human impact of these theological differences.  One story that really caught my attention was one of exile that I read about at Lutherstiege, a museum in St. Anna Kirche in Augsburg.  Juxtaposed to current events, it really struck a chord.   I was travelling in Germany at a time that refugee crises were very real in our news.  In the U.S., refugee parents were being separated from their children and news images showed them all being caged.  There were decades of conflict following the October 1517 95 theses in Wittenberg.  The rulers in each jurisdiction  determined which side the area was to follow:  Roman Catholic or Protestant.  And then through conflict, at times there was a power shift and with it also came a shift in theology.  For the people of Salzburg, this meant exile when in 1731 it came under the rule of Catholics.  The adults were forced to leave with what they had on their backs and their children taken from them to be assigned to Catholic families.  Over 6000 walked to Augsburg where relief services were set up to provide aid. 

As I read and learned more about the conflicts and how people were governed at the time, I began to understand better why my ancestors left Germany.  The Reformation was not peaceful:  there was war, loss of livelihood, famine, and lives.  There were times and places that to be Lutheran was dangerous. My ancestors left Germany in the mid-1600’s during the conflict.  They left for a place where they were promised religious freedom and land to farm. 

As explained at the museum in Augsburg, many of the reforms that Luther brought to “church” were new to me.  (Maybe I missed them in Confirmation class?)  Here are a few:

• Through baptism, every person is equal and has access to God through Jesus Christ.  Everyday life is about praising and serving God.  Therefore, “the peasant who tills the soil by the sweat of his brow praises God through his work as much as a monk in an abbey through his prayers".  Oh to be able to realize this equality in our society!

• Martin Luther’s vision was focused on individuals.  Every individual is responsible for his/her own faith.  Because faith comes from the word of God, a person must be well-versed in the writings of the Bible and understand the main parts of this faith.  This was why Luther wrote the small catechism.  It was written for everyone:  children and their parents.  This fundamental aspect of the Reformation led to a focus on education for all, regardless of gender or social status.  This also eventually led to public libraries.

• The life of a Christian is shaped by freedom and responsibility.  In Christ, all are free from fear in the face of human authority.  We are also responsible for our neighbours and the hardships of others.  It is curious that this responsiblity for others was hard at first for many:  without the demand for service to attain life eternal, initially people withdrew their benevolence.  It seems it's hard for many of us to help others in the way that Luther and Christ challenge us.

• Luther reintroduced singing together into worship.  Now that we can’t sing together because of Covid-19, it points out how important that element of our worship is.  While we appreciate the choir and beautiful music, that we all can sing together is a powerful thing.  That through song, “God’s Word remains among the people”.  Luther composed 37 hymns.

It is powerful to me that many people paid a high price for the religious freedom I have and take for granted.  That to people of Luther's time it was an act of defiance to read the Bible or sing in church.  That it was a privilege to be educated and take personal responsibility.  That reform at church meant an individual's freedom and responsibility.  How can we reform the church to again value these ideas that people fought for and paid a price in the Middle Ages?