Sharing a Passion

My love for books is no secret. I enjoy a wide variety of literature. There is one book, though, that stands out from all others. Many have faced unimaginable persecution for reading this book, or even just for owning a copy. I have read of some who travel miles just for the privilege of reading this book. Men have died, burned at the stake, for translating this book into the language of the masses. This book has divided families and kingdoms. I know of only one book with this power-The Holy Bible.
I am currently studying the lives of three great Bible translators who risked life and limb to bring the Scriptures to the people: John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and John Hus. After Martin Luther made public the corruption of the Roman Catholic church and their abuse of authority, these men carried on his desire to see the common citizenry of Europe allowed to read the Holy Bible in their own language and decide for themselves how best to worship and serve God. These men, and countless others, had the courage to question and defy the until-then unquestioned authority of The Roman Catholic church.
The book we so often take for granted was made available to us by the shed blood and tears of many great men and women in ages past. These brave soldiers, simple scholars with the desire to spread knowledge, were key players in the Great Reformation, the common man's protest against the absolute authority of the Roman Catholic church, a tradition carried on today by all Protestants, including the author of this blog.