July 12

Alfred Dreyfuss, Malala Yousafzai, Desiderius Erasmus, John Gualbert

Author

David Barnhart
July 12, 2025

Strassbourg Cathedral, 2022. Own photo.

Today marks the death, in 1935, of Alfred Dreyfuss, French military officer and victim of a conspiracy and cover-up, referred to as “The Dreyfuss Affair.” He had been accused of being a spy and was imprisoned on Devil’s Island, but when evidence exonerating him turned up, antisemitic commanders, journalists, and the public refused to admit it. 

Today is the birthday, in 1997, of Malala Yousafzai, activist for girl’s education and peace, who survived an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban, and has continued to speak out for women’s rights.

Today marks the death, in 1536, of Desiderius Erasmus, one of the foremost European theologians and philosophers of his age. His practical and tolerant approach to religion and life was an important counterpoint to the violence of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. 

Today is the feast day of John Gualbert, an Italian monk who died in 1073. Although he was born into a noble family and set out to avenge the death of his brother, when he found his brother’s murderer on Good Friday, he spared him and went on to become a monk. The act of mercy changed his life. 

Reflection:

“Let me mention another requirement for a better understanding of Holy Scripture. I would suggest that you read those commentators who do not stick so closely to the literal sense. The ones I would recommend most highly after St. Paul himself are Origen, Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine. Too many of our modern theologians are prone to a literal interpretation, which they subtly misconstrue.”

Erasmus wrote: 

“As Christ had recommended peace during the whole of his life, mark with what anxiety he enforces it at the approach of his dissolution. Love one another, says he; as I have loved you, so love one another; and again, my peace I give unto you, my peace I leave you. Do you observe the legacy he leaves to those whom he loves? Is it a pompous retinue, a large estate, or empire? Nothing of this kind. What is it then? Peace he giveth, his peace he leaveth; peace, not only with our near connections, but with enemies and strangers!”

One of the most popular misquotes of a line from a letter by Erasmus is this one (it still captures the sense) :

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

Malala Yousafzai said, 

“With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.”

“Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead he made me as tall as the sky, so high that I could not measure myself.”

Prayer: God, we have a poor sense of scale, limited as we are by our finite size and lives. We cannot see the enormity of our own impact, nor the small importance of our worries. Help us to right-size our lives. Amen. 

(*I’m indebted to Melissa Scott for the concept of “theological right-sizing.”)