The Reformation leaders, Martin Luther and John Calvin 1509-1564) never met in person. When Martin nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, John was eight years old. John sent a letter to Martin through a mutual friend, Philip Melanchthon, that was never delivered. Philip wrote to John Calvin, “I have not given your letter to Doctor Martin, as he looks at such things with suspicion.” Martin was touchy and weary as he was nearing the end of his life.
The temperaments of these two Reformers were poles apart. Martin Luther said of himself, “I am rough, boisterous, stormy and belligerent. I was born to fight against monsters and demons.” He was outgoing and extroverted, a true “people person.” John Calvin, by contrast, was a classic introvert (I’d wager INTJ on the Myers-Briggs Scale). He described himself as “shy and timid “. He had deep respect for “Father Luther” yet described him as “immoderately ardent and violent in character.” Martin admired John yet also wrote that he was “educated but strongly suspected of the error of the Sacramentarians,” a reference to their dispute over the Lord’s Supper.
John Calvin following in Martin Luther’s footsteps was surely an act of God. Martin functioned as pioneer and trailblazer, the heart of the Reformation. John was its head, the scholar who provided this fledgling movement with theological rigor and depth. Despite their differences, they shared a deep commitment to God in prayer. John devoted one hundred pages of his Institutes of the Christian Religion to prayer, which he describes as “intimate conversation with God.” He wrote that God’s very character gives us every assurance that God hears and answers prayer. Martin’s references to prayer permeate John’s writings. He consistently advocated that prayer be frequent, bold, honest and forthright.
We begin this day with a morning prayer by John Calvin: