Jena (dpa/th) – Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences in this country have shaped the central Thuringian service on Reformation Day. “Our world has changed,” said pastor Nina Spehr on Monday in her sermon in Jena’s evangelical city church. The agenda of Russian President Vladimir Putin is unpredictable, which scares many people. “I think the concern is greater than the hope.” Worshipers also expressed concern about an increasing division in society. This can be observed, for example, in the weekly protest demonstrations.
Even during the Reformation around 500 years ago, the world suddenly changed, the pastor recalled the publication of theses critical of the church by the theologian Martin Luther (1483-1546). According to tradition, he nailed it to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. This is considered the beginning of the Reformation. Later, Luther, who was persecuted by the church leaders, also stopped incognito in Jena, where he discussed with students in an inn without being recognized and preached in the town church. Reformation Day is a public holiday in Thuringia, which is predominantly Protestant
