Wake up! Lent Madness is back for another full week of saintly, halo-busting action. We begin with the third matchup of the Saintly Sixteen, where we continue to encounter saintly Quirks and Quotes, as Methodius faces Albert Schweitzer. To get to this round, Methodius beat his brother Cyril in the Slavic Smackdown® while Schweitzer grilled Lawrence.
The winner of this battle will join Constance and Absalom Jones (who squeaked past Joseph on Friday 52% to 48%) in the Elate Eight.
We do hope everyone successfully made it through another weekend of Lent Madness Withdrawal (LMW). This is not an affliction to joke about as many of the Lent Madness faithful have suffered deep emotional scars from the lack of voting for 48 hours. The Supreme Executive Committee keeps a slew of Lent Madness chaplains on call 24 hours a day over the weekends of Lent. We have the number around here somewhere...
Methodius
Saint Methodius – patron saint of all of Europe, not too shabby – is often best known for being paired with his little brother, Cyril. Together they took the Gospel into the Slavic regions of Europe, helping the people to experience word and sacrament in their native languages.
This would be enough for some, but not for Methodius.
Methodius’ ministry without his brother was also filled with excitement and passion for a church that changes and adapts to new languages and cultures.
Following Cyril’s death, Pope Adrian II appointed Methodius as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. Suffice it to say that the German bishops in the area were not fans.
Archbishop Methodius stood as an advocate for inculturation: the idea that “every people must integrate the message revealed into its own culture and express its saving truth in its own language” (Pope Benedict XVI). He continued to invite the people to worship and experience Scripture in their own language and culture. Those who opposed him believed that the Latin language and mindset (“the way we’ve always done it”) was the only way to experience the Gospel.
Methodius was imprisoned for two and a half years following an ecclesial trial in the presence of King Louis of Bavaria. Eventually, a legate from Pope John VIII settled the issue, declaring the legitimacy of Methodius’ appointment as Archbishop.
After Methodius’ death, his successor (who had served as his coadjutor) exiled all Methodius’ disciples – those who advocated the use of the vernacular for Scripture and liturgy. But the work Methodius had done in his life – his continued advocacy for a culturally and linguistically literate church – could not be stopped.
As Metropolitan Kallistos Ware observed, “Few events have been so important in the missionary history of the Church” as the missionary work of Methodius (both with and without his brother). The fruits of Methodius’ ministry can be seen to this day not only in the churches which continue to worship in Slavic, but in all churches who seek ways to speak the Good News in new and changing cultures.
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer was 19-years-old studying theology at Strasbourg when he had an epiphany. He was reading Matthew 10 in Greek. As Jesus sends out and receives the disciples, he tells them, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.” Schweitzer understood these words to be a call on his life as well.
He would later write, "You must give some time to your neighbors. Even if it's a little thing, do something for those who have need of a another’s help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it." 11 years later, as a medical doctor, he would move with his family to Lambaréné in French Equatorial Africa (modern Gabon) and begin to live out that commission.
While in Africa, and while Albert Einstein was working on a scientific explanation that would explain and link together all physical aspects of the universe, Schweitzer was developing an all-encompassing moral theory that he called “Reverence for Life.” He wrote of this ethic, “It is good to maintain and further life; it is bad to damage and destroy life. And this ethic, profound, universal, has the significance of a religion. It is religion."
In many ways this ethic was way ahead of its time. Schweitzer was not only concerned with human life but with all life. He wrote, "People are ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to them, that of plants and animals as that of their fellow human beings, and when they devote themselves helpfully to all life that is in need of help." Elsewhere he said, “Until people extend their circle of compassion to include all living things, they will not themselves find peace.”
This reverence for life was not just a theory. It was also lived out. His obituary in The New York Times reported, “Lambarene was suffused with Reverence for Life to what some critics thought was an exaggerated degree. Mosquitoes were not swatted, nor pests and insects doused with chemicals; they were left alone, and humans put up with them. Indeed, building was often brought to a halt lest nests of ants be killed or disturbed.”
Later in his life, Schweitzer would devote himself to working against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He would write numerous letters to presidents and other world leaders imploring them to give up the quest for bigger and more powerful weapons. His Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in part for this work
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129 comments on “Methodius vs. Albert Schweitzer”
I voted for Methodius because he made the Gospel comprehensible to the masses
I voted for Methodius even though Albert's environmental stance is dear to my heart. I think Methodius's belief in "seeking ways to speak the Good News in new and changing cultures" is fundamental to spreading Jesus's teachings.
Well, I voted for Methodius because I think having Scripture and liturgy in a language the people understand is very important.
That, and I had to unleash unrestrained chemical warfare on a wasp that got into my apartment over the weekend. It's him or me - and it ain't gonna be me.
I voted for Methodius, but saw a bit of irony there. While he argued for speaking the liturgy in the language of the people, many of the Orthodox and Orthodox Catholic churches which use those Slavic languages continue to celebrate in their original languages rather than in English. I don't criticize this, or the use of Latin. I find all of these traditions informative and valid, and in many cases, spiritually satisfying. It just seems ironic to me. I'm sure there are many out there who know much more about it than I do. Comments?
Schweitzer gets my vote- for being the originator of the "No Nukes" movement.
As an Episcopalian, I resonate deeply with Methodius' focus on honoring the languages and cultures in which he served rather than imposing whatever was 'church speak' in his day. But I voted for Albert because we desperately need to treat the whole creation as a gift from the Holy One; we are not the 'top dog' as humanity...we are part of a web of all life (plants, animals, the elements) which we are destroying with our arrogance and greed.
People everywhere, reading Scripture and worshiping in their 'own,' indigenous languages - a true gift.
And, after all, we know Jesus preached in Latin - Oh, wait....
As one who loves languages and is fortunate to know several, it's Methodius for me.
No, he didn't, he preached in Elizabethan English!
Funny!
I deplore the idea that many of my fellow Catholics feel the need to attend Latin Masses!
BOO
I think the Latin Mass is beautiful for the cadence of the language. I wouldn't want it to be my only option, but on occasion it can be a meditative experience. The same goes for other languages which I do not speak. I once attended a Xhosa service in South Africa, and could follow right along, even without understanding the language. The blessing of the BCP!
I voted for Dr. Schweitzer again because it occurred to me that with his work in Africa and his universal caring for all life on this planet, he was truly a "doctor without borders." He's been an inspiration to me since my childhood when I first read a biography about him written for children.
People in Africa use mosquito nets. Do you realize how we are poisoning our planet with pesticides?
Thank you, Eileen!
Nets are great for sleeping protection. How about walking around protection — not so effective, I wager
Methodius all the way! Al is a great guy, but I cannot shake my love affair with the Ancient! And... I can't believe someone could trump the foster father of JESUS!
Yes, I'm still mourning Joseph's defeat.
No contest for me this morning - Albert Schweitzer. I've long admired him, although I don't share his reverence for the life of mosquitos and other 8-legged critters!
I usually vote for the more ancient of the two contestants, but Albert's respect for all God's creation is too important to ignore. When we can stop thinking of our own human needs as superior to others, we will be fully restored to our created goodness. It's a less obvious extension of "If you have done it to the least of these..." We have to find ways to protect ourselves without the extermination of others.
Albert sounds like a very concious and caring person but I'm not seeing him as being motivated as a Christian, as a saint, that is. There is no question that Methodious had one purpose in life and that was to bring Christianity to the people, not just reverence for life, but Christianity.
"Reverence for life": easy to say, difficult to do, and despite legends about Jesus cursing trees (or toddler Jesus striking his playmates dead for mocking him) thia difficult task takes us to the heart of the Gospel message. Schweitzer's message reveals a bigger God than (even) Methodius contemplated.
Communication is essential to understanding. I admire the translators of this world because they make that step possible. Methodius gets my vote today!
I had to vote for Albert Schweitzer because my father (also a physician) was incredibly inspired by him his entire life and told us story after story about Schweitzer. We even had a bronze statue of AS! Also, interesting to read the comments about mosquitoes and ants, which have inspired me in the opposite way. I myself can't stand either insect (and do in fact kill them), so I respect even more that he had such strong commitment to revering life that he would tolerate them!
"every people must integrate the message revealed into its own culture and express its saving truth in its own language” -- the heart of communication, and caring about those to whom we are placed. "Go where the people are, not where you wish they were" is the primary thing I took out of 3 years of PhD work in communications…. Yay, Methodius, who didn't need a degree to get it right.
Such incredibly thoughtful comments today! I'm out of my depth. I voted for Albert because I remember hearing about him when growing up. I do think he went a bit too far with the mosquitos! They carry disease, and particularly in Africa, deadly disease. Perhaps we should say a prayer for forgiveness before we swat one, but swat we must!
I voted for Albert because when he started learning about Jesus he was only 19 years old
In a world where mosquitos spread the Zika virus which can cause massive, permanent harm during pregnancy to an infant's brain, I have to vote for Methodius who did so much to spread the gospel. Yes, let us hope that mosquito control can eventually be accomplished without harmful pesticides, but meanwhile let us protect the children, and value evangelism more than we value mosquitos!
Methodius. His work to establish worship in the vernacular had a huge impact on the Slavic Church. His contribution echoes through the ages.
Schweitzer's mustache was the tie breaker. Hopefully he'll make it to the Elate 8!
A hard choice. Schweitzer's commitment to living out his calling as a Christian is truly inspiring (and I do try to avoid killing insects whenever it is possible). However, I finally decided in favor of Methodius because of the importance of hearing the faith story and the prayers in one's own language...makes the connection truly personal.
Albert Schweitzer because he reminds me that we all can live our Christianity, all can be saints and prophets.
Ah, the LentMadness bias towards the more "modern" saint continues ...
Not among the commenting community. This discussion was very balanced. You do wrong to conflate the gross vote count with the actual reflective assessments here in the discussion thread. You are rebuking the wind . . .
I voted for Albert to.
Difficult decision because both have deep meaning. But I voted for Schweitzer, although he has been criticized, because what he says and did resonates so much for today. (Except for the mosquito bit.)