A Mighty Fortress - by Joel Hempel Hanging on the wall above my desk in my study is a wood carving of the castle at Wartburg which overlooks Eisenach, Germany. It belonged to my aunt until she died. When Marcia and I visited Wartburg in 2001, we climbed the steep incline to the castle because we wanted to see and maybe experience a little of what Martin Luther endured during the eleven months he was hiding out in this secluded, nearly 1000-year-old structure. Martin Luther was running for his life because the Emperor declared him to be a heretic and criminal, which meant anyone could kill him on sight, no questions asked. Marcia and I were only touring, so there was little chance we could experience what Luther experienced. But sitting in his small, sparsely furnished, two-room living quarters,1 I could imagine what it was like feeling alone, hated by the church, guilty before the state, and fighting depression, as he self-reported. He was literally sitting in a mighty fortress, but not feeling mightily protected by God. Instead, he was hiding his identity, impersonating a knight with long hair, a beard, and a sword hanging at his side. What saved him from his angst? God, of course! But specifically, a calling within his calling. God had already called Luther to confront the Roman Catholic Church with its heresy. But sitting in the Wartburg Castle, I can imagine it no longer felt like a calling. Such is the situation for many reading this devotion. Your vocation and calling for which you were prepared is now over. You may be retired or just tired and finished. If so, our brother Martin offers what he learned from personal experience. Pray, seek God’s wisdom and guidance, listen, then follow God’s lead! In time, God gave Luther his calling within his calling. Martin turned to his first love, God’s Word. He began translating the New Testament from the original Greek into German, the people’s language. Eleven weeks later, the translation was complete – a major contribution to the church and to the nation of Germany. Our calling within our calling may not be as grandiose or dramatic as Luther’s. But it is equally important to God and those around us. A calling that first serves God and his kingdom will be blessed by God and a blessing to many. If you are on the run, or feeling discouraged, or fighting depression and spiritual anxiety, you are in good company. Seek God’s will and service to others, and you will surely discover your journey is taking you to a time and place of great reward. 1. There were few visitors that year, so we had time to be alone in Luther’s study. |
