Luther, Lenin, and 90 Years of Revolutionary Thought

As October 31st quickly approaches I have one celebration on my mind...oh, make that two. I always forget that Oct. 31st marks the date of a second holiday in our culture. The one some how alway slips my mind. I guess it's easy to forget Halloween when it shares its date with Reformation Day. I know you must feel the same way.

But as the celebration approaches I note that it must be a special celebration this year, for October 31st 2007 will mark the 90th Birthday of Protestant Reformation, the day that marks the beginning, the birth, of the Protestant tradition in Western culture. But not long after we celebrate this occasion there will be another anniversary: The 90th Anniversary of Vladimir Lenin's Communist revolution. Marvin Olasky has written an interesting piece on these two anniversaries and their divergent wolrdviews in the Oct. 27th Issue of World Magazine.

For those of you hoping to learn more about Luther in honor of the upcoming celebration I recommend: Here I stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton; Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought by Stephen J. Nichols; The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Stephen J. Nichols; or October 31st, 1517 Wittenburg, Germany by Jim Elliff.

Reformed Baby Care

Martin Luther once said, "Lord, you say we should come to you like little children. Must we really be such idiots." Such are the kinds of comments we would expect from someon who is usually known for his direct and often hard nature. But Luther was a father who loved his children, and a husband who loved his wife.

Gene Edward Veith has commented on this in a recent post he did over at the Cranach Blog. He has a direct quote from a sermon that Luther preached concerning the estate of marriage, and he has a link to the full sermon. For moms who are having some difficulty at home with the care of their babies, the frustration of all their wifely duties this is a good word. It's also a fresh reminder to fathers. In Luther's day the father had a much more prominent role in the home than he does today. We are reminded by this great preacher and reformer that dads have a duty to care for their children and wives. Men are to love their children, and love their wives like Christ... and like Luther.