amy- The Shock of Luther

I understand that Luther was amazing. I really do. I admire him for really following his beliefs, and yet I find myself saddened for his legacy. No one finds themselves more surprised at this fact than myself. Now let me clarify. It does not change my initial opinions on the work of Luther, it just shows one the fallibility of man. I feel as though it is obvious that I am referring to the anti-Semitism of Luther. I have never done any research on my own about Luther, so I was surprised to hear that he was as vehemently against the Jews as he was for the reforming of the Catholic Church. It makes me think of a quote that has stuck with me: “There but for the grace of God go I.” In this case, it makes me think of how Christians just hope and trust the grace of God covers their sins. Luther is just another example of how the most spiritually gigantic people can fall. Luther’s sin of hatred to another race has horrifying repercussions, but within it all is found the grace of God. The same thing can be seen in the case of David from the Bible. His sin with Bathsheba had terrible consequences for his family, but in the end he was restored back to God. For me, this is how I have to examine Luther’s life and pray that I can learn from his mistake of forgetting the love of God that extends to friends and enemies alike.