The Crisis of Luther's Life
By Arthur C. McGiffert
From Arthur C. McGiffert's "Martin Luther and His Work" in the December Century LUTHER's life was full of startling and unexpected crises, and the first and most startling of them all came in the summer of 1505, after he had been a law student for less than six months. He had just been home for a brief visit. His progress in his work had been all that could be desired, and his parents' pride and hope were higher than ever, when suddenly, to the consternation of everybody and to the wrath of his father, who was already thinking of an honorable marriage for him which should still further improve his prospects, he threw it all up and went into a monastery. The immediate occasion of this extraordinary step was a terrific thunder-storm which overtook him just outside the town when he was returning from his visit home. In mortal dread of death, he threw himself on the ground, crying to the patron saint of the miners, to whom he had often turned in seasons of distress: "Help, dear Saint Anna! I will become a monk."