Erasmus wrote a book called On Free Will. I’m currently tackling Martin Luther’s response to that book, called The Bondage of the Will. It’s definitely not light reading, but got off to a sizzling start with Luther’s scathing comments to Erasmus about his book:
“…your book is, in my estimation, so mean and vile that I greatly feel for you having defiled your most beautiful and ingenious language with such vile trash, and I feel an indignation against the the matter also, that such unworthy stuff should be borne about in ornaments of eloquence so rare, which is as if rubbish or dung should be carried in vessels of gold and silver.”
Luther was a little ball of fire, that’s for sure. It’s strong stuff, but almost lyrical compared to the kind of things people express on social media when a disagreement arises.
Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 135
“Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.”
I am often impatient and assume I’m not the only one. Maybe you needed to read this today, too.
And here’s a little whimsical look at germs by the humorous poet, Ogden Nash:
The Germ
A mighty creature is the germ,
Though smaller than the pachyderm.
His customary sleeping place
Is deep within the human race.
His childish pride he often pleases
By giving people strange diseases.
Do you, my poppet, feel infirm?
You probably contain a germ.
“Strange diseases,” feels just a little bit too relevant right now!
I hope you are able to wrap yourselves in warm light on these cold days as you cozy up with a good book.
I’ll probably delete this when someone tells me how mean and vile it is.
Lynniebeemuseoday 
Wow! Go Martin Luther😲. I suspect he had such a strong response because he had worked so desperately to understand that he was saved by Grace and not by works.
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