There Ought To Be a Man In Black

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you’d think He’s talking straight to you and me.

 – Man in Black, Johnny Cash

In honor of Reformation Day, 500 years since Martin Luther’s theses.

Reformation day has always seemed a sombre sort of thing to me, even when I was a Protestant. I understand the desire to celebrate. From a Protestant perspective, Luther is the catalyst that makes it possible for later generations of Reformers to bring the fullness of the Gospel back into public consciousness. I’ve already seen a video in my Facebook feed celebrating his triumph over the “dark” “empire” of the Catholic Church, and remember how well I identified with that narrative.