Luther column for reformation 500

We are nearing Halloween, the greatest holiday in the Alton calendar. Today is Reformation Sunday to mark the 500^th anniversary of Luther’s alleged posting of the 95 points of debate with the Roman church, on Halloween. I would like to look at Luther himself a bit more.

Years ago Harold Lasswell explored how public figures project inner needs on to the public stage. Like anyone, he was a mixture of attributes, and he dealt with, prejudice, depression and anger.  He seems a tortured, tormented soul. He spoke of being tried, tempted, assaulted by forces beyond him, but I think they were despairing internal struggles that Luther called anfechtung (assault). When he spoke of suffering, of living the cross, he rarely referred to physical suffering, he meant inner suffering, inner pain, inner struggle. Luther did not speak of Hell very much. His personal hell was facing death. Maybe we could call it Fear itself, as FDR said.

That accusing inner voice repeated: Never enough, never good enough, always a failure. At his worst, Luther would write on a blackboard-I am baptized. He realized that he was relying on a promise, not something fully executed, but it gave him a place to stand.

He realized that company helped keep the cloud of depression and angst away, with beer. Martin enjoyed company and conviviality, so he could talk more. He sought solace in the arms of his wife as shield for the terrors of the night.  To fight off depression he counseled: distractions and work. Music helped at times as well to escape the doldrums.

Psalms were made his own. After all, he sang them daily as a monk. He taught the Psalms in class, contrary to the notion in Protestant circles of the lack of biblical practice among Catholics. He saw his own spiritual struggle is reflected in the psalms.  The assaults were terrible gateways to spiritual insights. In deep despondency-God’s no signals us to a deep hidden yes. My God, my God from Ps 22 is a confession of faith within despair. When he was at his worst in 1527-1529 he could write the hymn, A Mighty Fortress-based on a psalm.

“God hates melancholy.” Yet, for Luther the assaults were “so great and so much like hell...he would have perished completely and all of his bones would have been reduced to ashes. “ Spiritual distress and temptation are unavoidable in this life, and we must bear tribulation, yes even be in the midst of it. But that is why we pray not to fall into and drown in it. That is why it is different to feel spiritual distress than to accept temptation and say “yes” to it.’

We all live within the valley of the shadow.  Only in the deepest valley can we hope to appreciate catching a glimpse of light. The dark periods may well be horrific and prolonged.  However, Luther insisted that it was important to understand Trouble is not a sign of God’s displeasure or condemnation. The lies at the heart of this experience must not be believed. As he wrote around 1528, "when God sends us tribulation Satan suggests: “See there God flings you into prison and endangers your life. Surely He hates you. He is angry with you; for if He did not hate you, He would not allow this thing to happen.” Luther’s inner revolution in his understanding of God gave him what measure of peace he could find and the courage to do it. An imperfect man led an imperfect Reformation, and in so doing, found a measure of wholeness through the God who in Jesus comes not to judge but to save.