The Perfect Ending

On Saturday we woke up in Erfurt, which is on the River Gera. It was a nice, summer-like day, so I began my day by dipping my feet in the River Gera. Then, it was on to Wartburg Castle, on the edge of the town of Eisenach.

For those of us who hiked up to the castle (rather than taking the shuttle) and then walked throughout the massive castle, we could understand why it was a good hiding place for Martin Luther.

The Wartburg was founded in 1067 by Ludwig der Springer (the Jumper). (There's an interesting story behind the Jumper, but I'm not going to tell you; I'm going to let you look up that one. :)

From 1211-1228 St. Elizabeth of Hungary lived in the castle, and in 1777 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the castle for five weeks. However, for Lutherans, the crowning event of the castle's history is that Martin Luther hid out there for 10 months (from May of 1521 to March of 1522). While there he was able to translate the New Testament from the original Greek to the German language of the 1500's. By the way, Luther accomplished this in 10 weeks! (It might take some of us 10 weeks just to read and ponder the whole New Testament in English!) This monumental achievement paved the way for the Bible to be translated into thousands of different languages today.

After the castle we went into the town of Eisenach where some of us visited the Luther House, where Martin Luther likely lived during his schooling in Eisenach (from 1498-1501). This charming house had a number of interesting exhibits that gave us a glimpse into what Martin's life as a teenager might have been like. We learned that Martin Luther served as a "kurrende singer" while he was at school in Eisenach, which meant that he literally had to sing for his supper on occasion.

Next was a visit to the Bachhaus in Eisenach, a museum to Johann Sebastian Bach on the land where his childhood home had been. (Bach attended the same school, St. George's School in Eisenach, that Luther had attened 200 years earlier.)

The museum showcased many instruments from the time of Bach. (Bach lived from 1685-1750.) In addition, many original musical scores were on display, and the highlight was a mini-concert on period keyboard instruments, such as a clavichord, harpsichord, and two different styles of organ. We were whisked back into the early 18th century, and through the sheer beauty of Bach's music, were given an appetizer for the main course we'll receive in heaven.

The day ended in Darmstadt, a suburb of Frankfurt, where we celebrated Holy Communion together and said our goodbyes. Or maybe just our so-long's for now. While it is unlikely that all 86 of us (82 Women of the ELCA participants, 2 bus drivers, and 2 tour guides) will ever be in the same room again on earth, we all await heaven, where we will see Martin and Katharina Luther, Johann Sebastian and Anna Barbara and Anna Magdalena Bach, and all the other wonderful, bold people from Lutheran and Christian history!

Amen