by Dr. Mark Brewer :: That usually gets a big yawn – even from Presbyterians. Why is this guy’s birthday so important? Because he was instrumental in much of the change of not only the church, but of western civilization. Calvin was raised as a good Catholic boy in France. He had one of those remarkable minds that comes along every few generations. By the time he was 27, he had written the essential summary of Protestantism called the Institutes. Calvin was exposed to the teachings of Martin Luther and was overwhelmed with the freedom in Christ Luther spoke about. If Martin Luther was the heart of the reformation, then John Calvin was its primary mind. The whole concept of a democratic church and the Priesthood of every believer was championed by Calvin. Five centuries before we at Bel Air had the vision to transform Los Angeles into the greatest city for Christ, Calvin actually did it in Geneva, Switzerland. In the coming weeks, I want to share some of the tremendous successes, and some of the failures, that Calvin had in city transformation at Geneva. We have a lot to learn from this learned and impassioned lover of Christ. Calvin knew how much God loved the city, and how great a difference a handful of churches “sold out to Christ” can make. It’s alright to party a little on his birthday – even in moderation!
