490 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to what was, in effect, his community bulletin board, the church door in Wittenburg. His ideas, which sparked the birth of Protestantism, can honestly be said to have touched many more fields than religion. Technology, education, shipping and anything which benefits from the Puritain work ethic is an indirect result of Luther's ideas. Protestant ideas of individualism and equality provided many of the principles which underlie the American Republic to this day. All this from the ideas of one lone German monk almost 500 years ago. Martin Luther stands as a credit to the power of ideas and the power of the truth.
(My Confirmation was last Sunday, Reformation Sunday. I was very excited to learn that it would be on the 490th anniversary.)