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Argula, though she was a wife and mother in the Reformation Germany, educated herself and became deeply enamored with theology. When she heard a young teacher at a local university had been exiled for his Lutheran beliefs, after almost being burned at the stake, she wrote a letter to the school, noting that “nowhere in the Bible do I find that Christ, or his apostles, or his prophets put people in prison, burnt or murdered them, or sent them into exile”, as quoted in the most recent Lesser Feasts and Fasts of The Episcopal Church.
Scripture speaks to us in many ways in our lives, and one of those ways is to give us an example of how to live and treat others. Many in Argula’s age tried to use that Word to do things in Jesus’ name that Jesus would be ashamed of. There are still many in our day and age who do the same.
It is up to us, then, to follow Argula’s example. We are called to take the time to listen to what God is saying to us in Scripture. We are also called to listen to what not to do. The hope is that in listening, we will follow the example of those who have gone before us and live our lives not to themselves, but to God and God alone.