Most of you will be celebrating Halloween, but there is something else that marks that same day, a page in history turned... and sadly, forgotten by too many.
We are just five days away from the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, marked by the day Martin Luther nailed the ninety-five thesis to the church door. I am amazed at the legacy that the Lord blessed from that moment.
If you missed my second-to-last post, you can click on the link provided to follow my thought process. I have been thinking about what has shaped me as a writer and made me love words. This week, I began reflecting on what the Reformation means to me. What does it say about who I am?
I am proud to call this my heritage. I have no blood connection or relation to Martin Luther at all, nor to any of the other known Reformers, but that is not the only way someone can be a part of who you are. I may not ever know all the people in this world who I am related to, or all the people who came before me that I could be related to. That doesn't really matter so much, as they are only a part of who I am physically, and physically I will not last forever. The other part of me is the spiritual heritage that is just as ingrained in me as my DNA, and it will last forever.
It affects the way I think and the way I treat others.
It affects what I believe and what I read.
It affects who I choose to call friends.
It affects what I choose to do in my future and how I choose to react to what happens to me today and in the future.
That is far more impacting than any blood connection or DNA in my physical body. It changes what I take in, and it changes what I give out.
Luther knew the precious value or words, and with fiery dedication he pushed the church to reconsider its purpose and to teach individuals in the church how to appreciate their heritage in it instead of being indebted constantly. Christ died for us and gave us hope, but He didn't leave us with just the idea of hope, He left us with real words so that we can know not only who we are and where we came from but also where we are going. There is no physical DNA strand or blood test that can tell me what's going to happen to me in the future, but my identity in Christ does. Isn't that amazing? The greatest part about this is that I don't have to do anything except know with all my heart and soul that I am His.
I am thankful for those men who sacrificed their life and comfort to teach and share God's words so that I can have them readily available at any time and any place. I am thankful to witness the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Go make a Reformation cake! Throw some confetti! Pray a prayer of thankfulness! Comment below and tell me what you will do to celebrate this day in your Christian history. I would love to hear!
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