Critical reflection project update:
Before I start a summary of the readings, I would like to briefly explain the status of my critical reflection project. I have e-mailed Jen Weber at Cedar Riverside Community School and she replied with attachments of forms that I still need to e-mail her. I will be going to Cedar Riverside on Wednesday, September 21 for an orientation hour. I'm really looking forward to working with the students and faculty at the school!
Summary:
The Freedom of a Christian is a novel that is written about Martin Luther's understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Written in 1520, it introduces a letter from Pope Leo X that has familiar content to me, being raised in a Roman Catholic family. Luther is confused and unable to understand why it's important to have indulgences and a pope as a link to Jesus Christ. He goes on to tell Pope Leo that he has no power because he is also a servant of God, and thinks that there should be no authority of the church attached to his title.Therefore explaining Luther's idea of being a "freed Christian"is to not be ruled under a specific church dogma. He views that people should have self-driven motivation when it comes to belonging to a religion, and I completely agree. The commandments were even seen as something that had very little self control, which were viewed very highly in the Roman Catholic church at the time. Luther went deeper in explaining that self-driven motivation came from having a personal relationship with Jesus. Along with Luther's view of a self-driven and non-authoritative Christian faith, Luther also goes on to explain that one cannot experience faith unless he or she have been through a time of difficulty. As an example, he states on page 49, "But one who has had even a small taste of faith can never write, speak, reflect, or hear enough concerning it."
My personal reflection on Luther's work can be summed up as understanding and agreeing to most his statements. I feel that Luther was an accepting person because of his strong belief that a relationship with God is a personal relationship, and not just a relationship that comes to a person because they are believed to be a direct link to God. He uses valid points to back up his reasoning, such as the word "self-driven." Even as someone who was raised in a Roman Catholic family, I never understood the point of indulgences as well. In one of my Education courses, we actually discussed the frustration that indulgences caused on the members of the church at the time. Due to the language barrier between oral and written tradition, some of the members understood their purpose when explained through word of mouth, but there were many people who were unable to read what was written about them, resulting in blind understanding. I understand where Luther is coming from when he talks about experiencing faith at a difficult time. I understand it because usually someone is looking for an answer, and not just a religious answer, but a spiritual one. Faith can occur through many different links and emotions, such as sad, lost, confused, friends, a family member, mentor, or a church parish. Although I understand that, I also do believe it's possible for faith to come to a person during a happy time. I have encountered many people throughout my life who are just naturally happy, faith-filled, and joyful people. They may be those "rare exceptions," but they have led me to believe that faith comes in all forms, at various moments of a person's life, and not just during the difficult times.
