Ecclesia reformatta,simper reformanda
Yesterday was Reformation Sunday. At Faith we instead emphasized that it was also All Saints Sunday. One hundred or even fifty years ago, this would have been unheard of. Then, we still saw the Roman Church as sinister. Today, we understand that they serve Jesus Christ, and only God knows who is more faithful.
Five hundred years ago, we 'protested,' believing that when Rome self-corrected its errors, we would return to the fold. The idea of return, however, has long since passed. Today no one even bothers to ask "What would it take for reconciliation to happen?" We live separated.
Though Reformation Sunday has passed, we do well to remember the 'great Protestant principle': ecclesia reformatta, simper reformanda. It means 'the church reforming, always to be reforming.' The human factor means that the church of Jesus Christ will always be imperfect. As Reinhold Niebuhr wrote, "We must fight other's falsehood with the truth, and we must also fight the falsehood in our truth."
May the 'Protestant principle' long live.
