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Last month, in FORUM, we studied Martin Luther in depth for three weeks under a fellow who really knows his Luther. For the fourth session I led a discussion on Luther by simply using a few of his quotes I found on the Internet.
Since Martin Luther is often depicted as a harsh, angry German, I tried to find some quotes that showed his soft side.
As usual, the discussion was rich.
I really like this first one. It's scary but all of us would be happier, better people if we did the same.
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.
When my husband, Ken, used to have really rich dessert, like a big old hot fudge sundae, he would hold it up in the air and quote Martin Luther by saying "Sin Boldly!" I don't personally think Luther was talking about hot fudge sundaes but here's the quote below.
Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.
There are loads of Luther quotes about the wonders of marriage. He didn't marry until he was in his 40s and spent the first few decades of his life in a Catholic monastery so meeting and falling in love with an actual woman must have been quite an experience.
There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.
Luther loved nature and animals, including dogs and cats.
The dog is the most faithful of animals...God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.
He was also a music guy.
The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music...A person who...does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper...
So there you have it. Hope this makes you want to look him up and learn some more. Just don't get him confused with Martin Luther King. That's an entirely different guy.
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