When you think of October 31st, what is the first image that comes to mind?
I can tell you mine…it’s Halloween. I bet you didn’t see that coming!
Before you love me or hate me, let me explain…
When I was nine, we were on furlough in the States, and we went trick-or-treating on the road where my grandparents lived. My brothers loved it! Free candy!
Me, I didn’t care for it…about the second house in, the family was so poor that they gave us apples. I felt so bad for “begging” that I walked home.
Not my thing.
I confess…I would do anything to not be a part of that holiday, neither on the receiving nor on the giving end of the candy. I don’t particularly like witches or ghouls or vampires or anything scary.
Then one day I discovered that there is much more to October 31st than Halloweem — Reformation Day!
On October 31st, 1517, a monk and professor named Martin Luther challenged what he saw happening in Germany: men on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church that were peddling God’s forgiveness for a fee. Probably one of the most successful scams of history — selling what you do not own to offer what you cannot buy.
Luther had no idea just how his little offer of a theological debate would have turned out to be one of the most important milestones in Christian history and would have started a war, both spiritually and physically.
Here we are, more than five hundred years later, nonchalantly flipping through our Bibles, taking our salvation by grace through faith for granted; and we forget the thousands of people who risked and often payed with their lives to get this Word to us.
Unfortunately, the closer people lived to Rome, the harder it was for them to hear about the GIFT of salvation through Jesus alone. If in northern Europe it became a MOVEMENT, in Italy it was more sporadic, with a few people or families here and there.
In 1540 Pope Paul III declared war on Perugia and subjected our city to his Papal State. In 1545 he was declaring war on Gospel doctrine by inaugurating the Council of Trent, where the Roman Catholic Church committed even further to its power and intolerance of reformation, even making it illegal to own a Bible in your own language.
Italy has never quite recovered from that attack, though we now have the freedom to preach and practice the Gospel.
You can see why it is a big deal to us. It hits so close to home. And why every year we celebrate and promote this date!
Here are three ways that we are making the most of the Gospel this month:
- On October 10th I taught, as part of our seminary course on the History of the Catholic Church, Reformation and Counter-reformation. Last month I also taught a module on Thomas of Aquinas. We could not have timed it better!
- Next Sunday, the 25th, I will be preaching a Reformation Sunday message, probably from Romans.
- Tonight I am playing in a concert. As the fall season brings occasion, I am also playing in several concerts with band and orchestra. This gives me an opportunity to share my faith as I spend more time playing and traveling with my unbelieving friends.
Like Martin Luther before his conversion, Italians live in constant fear of death.
Maybe that is why more people now than ever celebrate Halloween. How can you live in hope if Christ is not your only hope? But we have that hope.
If before, October 31st meant “HAVE FEAR”, now to me it means “Fear NOT!”
Please pray that we can faithfully continue to bring the reformation Gospel to Italy this October.
Ps. Thank you for praying for Melodee’s trip! She made it back safely after being a blessing to her family!
