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April 17
Ralph Abernathy, Ron Miller, Kateri Tekakwitha, Shemon Bar Sabbae
David Barnhart
April 17, 2025
Carolina Wren feeding her babies. May 2022, Birmingham, Alabama. Own photo.
On April 17, 1521, Martin Luther was summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms, and was challenged to reject the views he espoused that led to the Protestant Reformation. (A “diet” was an imperial assembly, and the name of the German city is pronounced “Vorms.)
Today marks the death, in 1990, of Ralph Abernathy. He was pivotal in organizing aspects of the Civil Rights Movement and later became president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Today is the birthday, in 1928, of Ron Miller, theologian, professor, and pioneer of interreligious dialogue. He was active in peace work and was motivated by his belief that Jesus preached a kind of non-dual consciousness and Christian maturity. He believed Christians needed to “grow up.”
Today is a feast day in the Roman Catholic Church for Kateri Tekakwitha, who died on this day in 1680. She was a Mohawk layperson who became a monastic devotee.
Today is also a feast day in the Greek Orthodox Church for Shemon bar Sabbae, a bishop and head of the church in Assyria, who was martyred on Good Friday in the year 345 because he would not convert to Zoroastrianism.
Reflection:
Ralph Abernathy said:
“Bring on your tear gas, bring on your grenades, your new supplies of mace, your state troopers and even your national guards. But let the record show we ain't going to be turned around.”
Ron Miller wrote:
A myth is not true because it once factually happened. A myth is true because it always happens. This is why the rabbis said that truly to celebrate Passover, Jews must understand themselves as escaping from slavery and standing at Sinai. And truly to celebrate Easter, Christians must experience in themselves the transition from death to life.
As I heard one biblical scholar say: “All of the Bible is true and some of it happened.” In other words, the basic spiritual message of the biblical texts, to love God and our neighbor, is always and forever true.
Prayer: Author of existence, give us the courage to live according to the truest myths. Amen.