February 22 - Where's Waldo?

February 22 – Where’s Waldo?

Before there were Protestants, there were Protestants. Before Martin Luther nailed his theses to the church door, there were plenty of people that didn’t approve of where the church was going. All it would take was a leader.

Peter Waldo was at a street fair one day when he heard a singer tell of a wealthy young man who left everything and returned as an emaciated beggar who was unrecognizable. At his death, he revealed himself, but had lived among the poor throughout his life and that life had brought him close to death.

This story impacted young Waldo and after ensuring that his wife would be cared for financially and placing his daughters in a convent, he gave the rest of his money and estate to the poor. He asked two priests to translate the Bible into French and began memorizing it. Then, he moved among the common people, teaching them about Jesus. This was new to them. Monks and nuns lived pious lives filled with self-denial, but their teaching didn’t hold much water when they failed to keep their vows. No one expected normal people to live like this. Waldo believed that Jesus called everyone to live a life based on His teachings.

He established the Poor Men of Lyons – the Waldensians – which brought the teachings of Jesus to the people. Well, what do you know?! The archbishop of Lyons didn’t like this and ordered them to stop. He excommunicated Waldo. The Waldensians continued to preach. The church hated that since they weren’t clergy, there was no control. Their lives of poverty (the walked barefut, owned nothing, wore simple garments) and simple teaching drew the hearts of people and the ire of a wealthy church.

They were accused of heresy, though their teachings were orthodox. The church could not allow them to exist outside its structure. They taught of the priesthood of all believers and those that were weary of the excesses of the church listened and believed. They taught the Bible in the language of the people and rejected relics, pilgrimages, saints’ days, purgatory and other ‘church’ ideas.

Pope Innocent III offered to allow them back into the church if they would submit to his authority and most refused. The Inquisition to come would try to destroy them, but they continued to spread throughout Europe and still exist today.