Welcome back to Lent Madness! We trust everyone survived early onset Lent Madness Withdrawal (LMW) over the weekend and is ready for another full week of voting. Thanks to Lent Madness more people than ever before now look forward to both Lent and Mondays. A Monday in Lent? Pure Nirvana.
In one of the most diabolical match-ups in the history of Lent Madness, we pit two heavyweights up against one another: Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. This ranks up there with last year's Great Oedipal Battle between St. Augustine and his mother Monnica (which mom won). If you're looking to blame someone for this, why not focus your attention on MLK's parents rather than on the SEC? We wouldn't have this problem if they'd named him Bob King or Gregory of Nyssa King.
You'll be glad to know that PBS evidently foresaw this match-up and posted a quiz titled "Who Said What?" Quotes are presented and participants then guess which one said it -- Martin Luther or Martin Luther King. Test your knowledge!
And finally, it's worth noting that at this point we are precisely halfway through the first round of Lent Madness. Four match-ups for the Round of the Saintly Sixteen have already been decided: Jonathan Daniels vs. Janani Luwum; Oscar Romero vs. Lucy; Ignatius of Antioch vs. Hilda of Whitby; and Luke vs. John Donne. Yowza!
Martin Luther
“In any century in which he was born, Luther would have guaranteed a richly memorable night out, whether hilariously entertaining or infuriatingly quarrelsome.” – Diarmaid MacCulloch
Martin Luther (1483-1546) didn’t need to worry about his career since his father had already decided it would be practicing law. But when he feared he might die in a severe thunderstorm, Luther the law student vowed to become Luther the monk. He entered Erfurt’s Augustinian monastery in 1505 and was ordained a priest in 1507.
Luther’s visit to Rome wasn’t the spiritual highlight he expected. He ascended the Santa Scala on his knees, saying the Lord’s Prayer on each step to release his grandfather from purgatory. Afterwards, he asked himself, “Who knows if it is really true?”
He began to question whether these things could indeed bring him closer to God. He started going to confession frequently (and anxiously). He tried to be the perfect monk, yet his conscience remained troubled. Finally, Luther was sent to the Augustinian monastery in Wittenberg in 1511 and earned his doctorate in 1512. At the newly established University of Wittenberg, he began to teach the Bible, going beyond the official Latin texts to study the Hebrew and Greek texts. Several years later he came to understand the “righteousness of God” in the Letter to the Romans to refer to a gift of God’s grace rather than a humanly impossible demand.
Pope Leo X issued an indulgence to shorten time in purgatory for faithful Catholics and, more practically, to finance an unfinished building project –- St. Peter's Basilica. Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, was the salesman for these indulgences in Germany. Luther’s anger at Tetzel’s theology and business practices led to his nailing of 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg on the eve of All Saints' Day, October 31, 1517 (or at the very least he sent a copy of them to his bishop – yes, there is a nailing vs. “mailing” only dispute). Here’s number 27: “They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.” Words such as these made Luther into a bestselling author thanks to the newly invented Gutenberg printing press.
Several months after he was excommunicated in 1521, Luther appeared at the Diet of Worms before the Holy Roman Emperor. Luther refused to recant his writings. He was “abducted” on his return home and hidden in a remote castle, the Wartburg, for his own protection. Alone, he sank into a depression but began his greatest project – a translation of the Bible into the German language. The rest, as they say, is history (i.e., The Protestant Reformation).
Collect for Martin Luther
O God, our refuge and our strength: You raised up your servant Martin Luther to reform and renew your Church in the light of your word. Defend and purify the Church in our own day and grant that, through faith, we may boldly proclaim the riches of your grace which you have made known in Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was, to quote the man who presented him with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, “the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence.”
Born Michael King, Jr., on January 15, 1929, his father, a Baptist minister, changed both their names to Martin Luther King in honor of the Protestant reformer.
At age 26 Martin, Jr., by then a Baptist minister himself, was chosen to lead the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. King’s strategy for this and all of his continuing efforts in the struggle for civil rights for blacks in the segregated South was to meld the precepts of non-violent resistance he admired in Gandhi with the Gospel of love espoused by Jesus Christ and the tenets of the Christian social gospel of Rauschenbusch with the strategy of civil disobedience championed by Thoreau. The result was a twelve-year career leading non-violent social protest against racial inequality through boycotts, sit-ins, and marches -- which led to the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, ending legal segregation in America.
For his efforts, he was vilified from every side. White clergymen told him that Jesus had nothing to do with civil rights and ministers shouldn’t get involved in politics. The young Black Power and Black Nationalist leaders repudiated King’s dream of (and struggle for) a non-segregated, non-violent world and obedience to Jesus' command to love his enemies. A black woman stabbed him with a letter opener at a Harlem book signing, and a white man shot him in Memphis. His house was bombed, and he was arrested thirty times -- the first time for driving five miles-per-hour over the speed limit. The FBI wiretapped his phones.
But he also inspired young blacks to occupy a segregated lunch counter and endure without retaliation white patrons putting out cigarettes on their necks, black citizens of all ages to walk everywhere for 381 days to protest segregated busses, and a white President Johnson to call out the brutality of the white response to Civil Rights efforts and push through the legislation that would end segregation.
And he did it all for the love of Jesus Christ and for the love of neighbor.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was 39 years old.
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181 comments on “Martin Luther vs. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
This was a hard one. I chortled my way through the 95 Theses and adore ML's biting sarcasm. I also resonate with his grappling to be a perfect monk. But MLK got my vote in the end because of his choice to make change through non-violence.
Thank you so much Jon Rinnander for your insights. You go right to the center of my choice for Martin Luther. His reforms ARE still desperately needed in several religious circles. I wish that someone of his courage was around today to speak the truth of reform. And his impact on Christianity is certain to be much deeper and last longer than that of Martin Luther King Jr.
I had to go with MLK, Jr. This what he said the night he was killed " I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." Do God's will and you will get to the mountaintop!
Martin Luther led a freedom movement within the RCC, but he expected his followers to be of one narrow and often bigotted mind with him. Dr. King led a freedom movement into which people of many colors and religions were counted, marched, toiled and died.
ML's work affected a greater amount of people over a longer period of time. But, for me, MLK's message is the more immediate. Our world, and our church, cannot seem to internalize the message that we are all beloved equally by God. The resultant exclusion of others, in favor of those who look and act more like us; the consequent struggles for self respect among those whose lives are circumscribed by restrictions of the soul imposed by those with more money or power; this is where modern sin is located. Not only does grace not let us off the hook, it also convicts us to do more to address this sinfulness. Sorry, Episcopalians, that means us, too. MLK's demands are direct descendants of Christ's, and just about as hard to enact.
What a beautiful and moving comment, Father Rico. Thank you.
The trick to thinking outside the box is... there is no box.
MLKjr for the WIN
King wrote a Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Luther wrote, "Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants" and "Against the Jews and their Lies." Both made amazing contributions to the church. One makes a better saint.
So difficult, as the struggles that both men represent still continue and will continue as we live in a broken world - yet they both fought the good fight as Jesus calls us all to do. Martin Luther, by the margin of time that continues to demonstrate the breadth and depth of his message still resonating in the places of power. in 300 years, who knows?
Luther admited he deserves sin and hell, what of it? Vote for him anyway! (Although, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a better saint.) [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nofgfuc23gM&w=560&h=315%5D
I was very upset when I fist saw this pairing. As a lifelong Lutheran (including Lutheran grade school, Lutheran high school, and Valparaiso University, employed by 2 different Lutheran churches, attend an ELCA church that holds a "Lutherfest" each year, etc, etc), how can I not vote for ML???? Despite how much I admire MLK, I have to vote for ML. Normally, I vote 1st and then read the comments. This time I read all the comments first. Now I'm ready to vote for ML. Am sure I'll get the chance to vote for MLK in the next round. I agree with a previous poster, this should have been a matchup for later in the rounds. As an old song I learned in my youth says, "Good old Marty Luther, good old Marty Luther, he sure made the Reformation swing. With his 95 theses, he tore the pope to pieces, I think the Reformation's grand."
The "If there had not been 'e', there would not be 'f'" argument is getting tired. Who knows 'if there had not been 'f', what even greater saint 'g' will yet not be? And can 'z' ever wear the golden halo? The oldies, the shoulders we stand on, yes! But without ML or even Luke there would still be 'saints' for us to vote on in this wonderful lent madness.
Each contributed greatly. One for a church, one for a country. Both were attuned to God's word. Sacrifices were made for the good of all people. How to say one is better that the other is very difficult. Lent Madness could drive a person crazy.
To avoid these kinds of match-ups and the consequent exit from a competition of top contestants, those in charge of major tournaments like, oh, Wimbledon or the World Cup, use a method called "seeding" which I humbly recommend to the SEC for the future to prevent future heartbreak.
I voted for the reformer. Head won over heart and not for the first time.
Whiole teaching the Reformation as part of my World History course in NYC, one of my students gleefully pointed out that I got it wrong whne I put the name martin Luther onthe board...she yelled from the back of the room," You forgot the 'King'!", to which I replied, " No, Elvis has left the building." The rest of the class laughed.
The Seminarians released their second video of Week in Review. We have a special segment on this match. To quote Chris, he's a drunk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uslgZsz1Keo
Tough draw for both men. Just not fair. They both could be finalists. I went with Dr. King. In this time we need modern examples to help question and fight for what is right for our fellow person.
This is straight from Hope's mouth with Mommy typing: "Martin Luther King, Jr. helped it so that when Sissy and I walk into our third grade classes we can sit by lots of other kids without anyone saying "hey, you can't sit there." We don't care anything about the color of our skin. All we care about is being together. We are all God's children no matter what we look like." Mom is high-fiving Hope after this one. Thank you Lent Madness for encouraging these special moments by these silly match-ups.!.
Thanks, Hope, for your insights. I also voted for Dr. King -- Mr. Knight and I were privileged to hear him speak at our college when we were students.
I have ruminated and I come up with: equality, inclusion, love, non-violence, immense positive social change, tolerance, courage...the list is too long - the effects too great in my life to ignore - MLK Jr. all the way.
Although I was raised Anglican, I'm with you on this. I greatly admire MLK, Jr. and his accomplishments, but Luther opened the door for the common person to read scripture in his/her own language. His courage in opposing the church hierarchy was amazing. He may not have been completely lovable....King wasn't either.....but he did a great service to all of us who are influenced by the Reformation.
Sorry to say, I cannot vote today. As much as I appreciate both of their huge contributions in their own spheres they each had traits which even in my loosest understanding of saint they do not qualify. Ml wrote and apparently believed in horrendous attitudes towards the serfs and Jews. MLK because of his continuous, blatant and admitted moral lapses. None of us are perfect, but unfortunately they cross the "saintly" line for me.
This turns out to be very easy. If Luther really chose the monastery during a really scary thunderstorm then there is no way that he would have challenged the racists of the South. The Catholic Church was so mean that they- hid Luther away in a castle? King had no such castle.
Luther's savvier political friends -- not the Roman church -- kidnapped him and held him on the QT in the castle, to keep him from being arrested, tried for heresy, and burned. Luther had crossed (if I may use the term) arguably the most powerful institution in the Western world, so make no mistake - his life was under serious threat. Considering the forces he was up against, it is a frank miracle he survived to die of more natural causes. His refusal to back down from his God-given path to challenge and reform the church of the day must be considered an act of extreme courage, no less than MLK's determination to also persist despite death threats and persecution.
Well if I were looking for perfection in the saints I know (which in the loosest and most ancient definition simply means "God's people"), including myself, I'd be in deep despair and about ready to pack it in. Thank the merciful heavens I'm a Lutheran Christian, so I CAN get out of bed every morning and face what the world has to offer...by the grace of God! : )
And that's why we love the Lutherans....
😉
(Seriously!)
I was born in 1968. My mother drank from the whites only fountain in her small Southern town. In contrast, my daughter, a proper white Episcopalian chorister, is at this very moment giggling in the living room with her best friend, whose parents are black Baptist ministers. "We have so much in common!" The girls squeal. They occasionally attend church with one other, sometimes at a very affluent church rich in sacred tradition, and sometimes at a very poor church, rich in soulful spontaneity. "It's really about the same thing--Jesus," they tell anyone who will listen. This was a tough vote today, but I'm moved to vote for the one whose dream came true between my mother and my daughter's generation. Reform is necessary, but if we can do it with peace and love, embracing each other's uniqueness, and listening for Jesus in each others' spaces, we can change the world.
In light of some of the comments on this thread, I thought I would recommend Diarmaid MacCulloch's history of The Reformation. As an Anglican historian standing firmly in the via media, I thought he did a truly excellent job of presuming the sincerity and good intentions of all parties, and wondering at various points in the history what, if anything, could have been done differently that might have averted the schism.
(I confess, I've only read up to the Council of Trent in this massive tome, but it is on my list to finish someday!)
All affectionate joking about "separated brethren and sistren" aside, it was MLK's lived commitment to nonviolence in the place of shame, in the face of incredible provocation, that clinched it for me. MLK more clearly shines forth the image of the Crucified Christ.
Ack! That comment ended up in the wrong place -- it was meant to be a comment on the main thread, not a reply.
Elizabeth, I was very touched by the story of your white Episcopalian daughter and her black Baptist friend. Thanks for sharing it.
Seriously Linda! Your comment on the "colored race" was cringe worthy (and I'm guessing revealed more than you intended about your personal biases and general cluelessness). Fortunately for you participants in Lent Madness seem to be a sophisticated and fairly tolerant bunch who will probably go easy on you. My suggestion: Have someone else read/edit your comments before you submit.
Thank you Just Us
I am tripped up on the question someone posed about whether, without ML, there could have been an MLK. When things get this tough only my spreadsheet can save me. I came up with 9 criteria: love of God, love of neighbor, endurance, theological insight, societal impact, mystical communion, leadership/inspiration, moral courage, and living as Jesus asked. There is also an extra credit category. For each criteria a saint can get up to 10 points. I had to give ML negative points for love of neighbor because I read an article about how Hitler used his anti-semitic writings to justify the Holocost to get Christians to buy into it. That also diminished his Christian impact score because while he may have had incalculable positive influence, his influence in the Holocost may have been as great. MLK also got some diminishment of points for love of neighbor because of his reputed extra-marital affairs but it was minor. Though ML's influence was great, MLK's may, 500 years from now, be just as great when you trace the impact of his liberating theology throughout the US to other countries where people are finding the courage to stand up for freedom - as women are in India today. MLK got my vote.
If MIK, Jr's father renamed himself and his son in honor of the great Reformer, how could I do less than vote for him? Luther gets my vote!
I have to admit to some shock thinking that ML may not win over MLK. Both were great men. Men for their times. Both fought against the injustices of their era. I was only 9 when Dr. King was martyred and I have never really studied Martin Luther in detail. I did feel that my vote needed to be cast for ML. If he had not paved the way none of us would be have this debate in my mind. The comments today have been insightful and I have learned a lot.
a matchup like this illustrates how prone we are to read our 21st century values back on earlier times. Both ML and MLK had seriously flawed characters, and both made an incredible impact on the world around them. But it's unfair to read our post-MLK sensibilities back onto ML's 1500s life. Unless we also plan to castigate the apostles, and the prophets, and maybe even Jesus, we need to be aware of the historical context and then think about the longer-term effect of their good works, not think only about our contemporary experience.
(says the girl who's still lobbying for Luther!)
As inspiring as Martin Luther is as a courageous historical figure, I am voting for Martin Luther King. His story brings me close to tears. His courage, tenacity and persistence by non-violent protest is testament to a man's beliefs in Jesus as well as people to stand up for what is good and socially just. He respected all, stood up for the dispossessed and encouraged others to stand with him. An amazing, inspiring and talented individual. I give thanks to God for both of these men who literally changed history by their courage and determination for change.
I find myself changing my own rules regarding my votes. I picked Luke over Absalom Jones with the logic that Absalom's work was impossible without Luke's Jesus and Gospel stories. I should have used that logic in this case too I suppose. I didn't. I voted for MLK Jr. I think it's because I was 11 years old when Dr. King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. I remember both of their deaths and recall wondering as a young man why both of them died because of the good works they were striving to achieve. There was another young peace-minded fellow who died under similar circumstances. The One that both M. Luther and M.L.K. Jr. both loved and followed with their lives.
Martin Luther King's work reaches beyond religion; his caring was for every person in our world. He worked to help every man, woman and child who was without the money or position to have the life God wanted for him. The rich and one precenters are still keeping God’s people from their just life. One need only look at today's USA headlines to see the great need for MLK today.
Great men have always stood up for Christ. In a sense they had no choice. Both Martins stood for Christ. They could do no other. But, without Martin Luther could there have been a Martin Luther King. Even if the names had been changed to protect the innocent could one have been without the other?
The problem with this match up is that Martin Luther King, JR. hasn't been dead long enough. I think that there definitely should be at least a fifty year time frame between the death of the individual and any promotion to a "golden halo". Many of us, I suspect were around when MLK, JR, died and we are prejudiced as a result. This was history for us. We lived it.
Good point. Isn't there some sort of "waiting period" for capital-S saints?
I remember exactly where I was standing when someone announced theat Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot. I was stunned. (Oh, that Good man! I hope he's only wounded and will be okay. Oh, his poor wife...his little children.)
Our high school drama teacher said something like, "That's enough work for today. We'll do something about the make-up and costures later. I don't think any of us can think about our play production right now."
Sadly, Dr. King's passing left a void in the civil rights movement. A void that was filled by some rather violent people who had opposed Dr. King's non-violent stance. Perhaps it is too much to say the movement stalled, but it surely was not moving forward, until Mrs. Corretta Scott King and others stepped forward to remind people of peaceful protest.
Five centuries before Dr. King, Father Martin Luther encountered his own enemies and friends. His friends (probably with the help of a highly placed relative) hid Luther from his enemies, thus sparing him from certain torture and death.
I vote for Martin Luther because of his 95 thesis and my Huegonaut ancestors .