"So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped... "
... Joshua 10:13

"Finally, we shall place the sun itself at the center of the Universe. " ... Copernicus

And ...

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."
... Isaiah 7:9

"Hier stehe ich, Ich kann nicht anders."
... Martin Luther "Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. ")

As we know, 2004 is a leap year and today, February 29th, is "leap day." Even before the birth of Christ the ancients knew the year wasn't exactly 365 days. In fact, it was 365 days plus a little bit more. So, every fourth year an extra day is added to February, the 29th. This got me to pondering our universe and the annual orbital path Earth takes around the sun. Yet, this planetary knowledge -- the sun being the center of our universe --wasn't at all a generally held truth. Galileo, the renowned 17th century Italian scientist, in using the telescope he had invented, made orbital drawings and showed with unanswerable logic and mathematical precision that Copernicus had it right: the sun was the center of the universe not the Earth. Well, what a firestorm he created! Galileo was summoned to Rome and tried for heresy by the Church's Inquisition, a crime punishable by death in many cases. He was told he would be spared and sentenced to "house arrest" for the rest of his life if he would renounce this scientific belief he had espoused. Before the Church prelates he did deny what he knew to be true. He was a layman, and being ostracized by his church was anathema. He returned to Florence to the home of his patrons, the Medici family, committed to house arrest. He died a few years later a broken man

A postscript: On October 31, 1992, 350 years after Galileo's death, Pope John Paul II gave an address on behalf of the Catholic Church in which he admitted that errors had been made by the theological advisors in the case of Galileo. "The Scripture can never err but theologians can err in their interpretations of them," the Pope said. Hmmm.

Now, we also recall that Martin Luther in 1517 had similarly been summoned to the Church at Rome and directed by the church hierarchy to renounce certain of his beliefs and preachings on pain of excommunication. Faithful and absolutely certain of the truth of his beliefs Luther would not recant saying simply, "Hier stehe Ich, Ich kann nicht anders." to the prelates assembled. Here was a priest and theologian who surely did not want to be ostracized by his church, but Faith is not to be compromised.

Thus, we have a scientist whose knowledge -- science-related -- was borne of his intellect and mind. And we have a theologian whose aith -- salvation-related -- arose from his heart and soul. How could Dr. Luther recant? As Christian Lutherans, are we not expected to stand up for our faith too? To profess our faith at every worship service? Here's the hard question I cannot answer: Were I living in the 16th Century would I have been Galileo-like or Luther-like? How wonderful to live in the 21st Century in America.

Go in Peace; serve the Lord. Keep the Faith!

Lord God and Heavenly Father. Thank you for giving us the faith of the mustard seed and for helping us to stand tall in our faith in You and in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.