A little more than 500 years ago, a precious little boy was born in Eisleben, Germany. All little boys are precious, but this one had a special work ahead of him. When God has a task, he partners with the human race and creates an operative. This time, he chose a boy who would become a monk, named Martin Luther.

The Catholic Church was a powerful force at the time, controlling both the government and the people, keeping them in submission under threat of eternal damnation for their souls. Unfortunately, the church was corrupt. Rather than teaching salvation as a free gift, the church, capitalizing on people’s fears of hell, were selling indulgences to pardon sins. The majority of people didn’t have their own Bible to study, so they were in dark to the truth. Anyone opposing the Church’s teachings was labeled a heretic and likely to be excommunicated or  burned at the stake. Luther, being a monk, had opportunity to study the Scriptures, where God’s truth was able to shine in sharp contrast to the darkness that had swallowed up the Church.

It couldn’t have been easy for Luther to walk away from everything he had devoted his life to serving. But corrupt religion, like a cancer, will eat away at your very life. Like Paul, God’s truth got ahold of his heart, ignited a fire, and at that point there was no stopping the passion that followed. Luther found a freedom that brought peace. He could no longer stand for the injustices happening in his church. On October 31st in 1517, exactly 500 years ago this October in 2017, he famously nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle church, in Wittenberg, Germany. Those famous words attacked the very heart of the power the Church held over people, kindling a fire that swept the world into the Protestant Reformation.

Of course Martin Luther was deemed a heretic and was summoned to stand before a religious trial, the Diet of Worms, in Worms, Germany. There, he refused to recant his assertions. He had found peace, and was willing to die for his faith. His now famous words, “Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds of reasoning…then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen.” With God’s help, no doubt, Martin Luther wasn’t burned at the stake. He escaped, hid for a time, and later continued to write and preach. I find it humorous that he eventually married a runaway nun. God had a purpose for Martin Luther, and I’m so thankful he was brave enough to meet it.

We as Americans have been spoiled with our “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to the point where it’s easy to forget the struggles and pain others have sacrificed securing those freedoms. We take our freedom of religion for granted—even in a world where becoming a Christian still means certain death in some places—simply because we’ve always had it.

We take our freedom of religion for granted—even in a world where becoming a Christian still means certain death in some places—simply because we've always had it. Click To Tweet

I was an adult before I knew that Halloween shared its glory with Reformation Day. Why is it that as a whole, the day has been ignored by the Christian world? While it might have started out as an embarrassment to the Catholic Church, both Catholics and Protestants now agree that Martin Luther was right to challenge the institutionalized corruption within the Church, and that the changes he brought to the Western world were good ones. As Christians, we are highly indebted to Luther and his brave willingness to sacrifice, even unto life itself, had it been necessary.

So, what can we as parents do to honor Luther’s memory? My sister and I have started a tradition of celebrating Reformation Day. We dress up in fun Renaissance clothing. We serve a meal, complete with a “diet of worms.” The entire family jumps in to perform a skit honoring this famous time and Luther’s important work. We even fill a piñata with chocolate coin “indulgences” paid by our poor, somewhat adorable, little peasants. Making history come alive for our children is important. They are having fun now, but they are also learning to appreciate the right to have a Bible and to be able to think, believe, and practice God’s teachings.

Don’t feel restricted to only talk about Martin Luther every year. While he was a major catalyst for reform, tailor it to your particular denomination or beliefs. There have been many Christian martyrs and faithful reformers over the centuries. Let it lead you into discussions of how we can be reformers in our world today. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The world is a somewhat scary place to be growing up in these days. Talk about some of the struggles our children live with or might encounter.  Share ideas on how we can be His light shining a difference into the lives of those we meet, whatever our circumstances.

This year, as you begin to feel the brisk fall air, and see the stores fill up with costumes and candy, consider giving Reformation Day a place in your thoughts and home.

 

Illustration:  Luther Posting the 95 Theses (also known as Luthers Thesenanschlag) by Wilhelm Ferdinand Pauwels, c. 1872