Martin Luther to the Christian Reader – 1545

Martin Luther’s letter “To The Christian Reader” was written in 1545, a year before he died. It has a tenor of reconciliation. He asks readers to cut him a little slack for at one time being a monk and upholding the Pope’s theology to the point that he would have “committed murder” to keep it in force.

A simple quick read overview might be this excerpt:

“Therefore, Christian reader, thou wilt find in my earliest books and writings how many points of faith I then, with all humility, yielded and conceded to the pope, which since then I have held and condemned for the most horrible blasphemy and abomination, and which I would have to be so held and so condemned forever. Amen.”

Here is the letter in it’s original context, translated into English:

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First Autograph Request in China

This was fun for me. I went to a local restaurant on Taipa Island in Macau, China and after the waitress takes my order she comes back and says “Can I have your autograph?”. In her hands is the Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA program and she has it opened to my picture for me to sign.

After I sign the program I realize that I also want a cup of coffee. But the waitress is walking around the restaurant showing people my autograph so I can’t get her attention for several minutes. So the lesson I’ve learned in this is that there is a price to fame: It’s more difficult to get a cup of coffee…

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