June 18

Today is the feast day of Marina the Monk, from the 400’s. The story of Marina is that she lived as a monk, concealing her gender for decades, even after falsely being accused of rape and accepting punishment for it. Though the story may be only legend, it points to the reality of gender-bending and trans identity in the early church. 

Today marks the death of Yelena Bonner, in 2011, human rights activist and wife of Andrei Sakharov. They worked to oppose authoritarian rule in Russia and laid the groundwork for modern opposition to Vladimir Putin. 

Today also marks the death, in 2012, of Lina Haag, who with her husband, Alfred, were imprisoned in German concentration camps during World War II for their opposition to Nazism and spent many years apart. Her letters to him were published as a memoir. They were eventually reunited. She lived to be 105. 

Because I missed the opportunity in February of this year, I want to take a moment to also remember Martin Marty, who died on February 25, 2025. Lutheran pastor, church historian, and theologian. He helped people understand the major religious shifts that happened in the Twentieth Century in North America. 

Reflection: 

Lina Haag’s memoir describes how, as a physiotherapist in Germany, she worked to heal young soldiers who were injured in the war, only to have them sent back to the front before they were well. Her moral outrage fueled her writing. 

Martin Marty said in an interview: 

He wrote: 

In light of this fascist regime which demonizes immigrants and seeks to establish White Christian Nationalism as the national religion, Marty’s perspective on hospitality and kindness is a reminder that these virtues are neither “liberal” nor “conservative,” nor even “Christian,” but human.

Prayer: Heavenly Mother, teach your children to become non-mean. Amen.