Peter Waldo, France, Forerunner of the Reformation November 4. Peter Waldo. Waldo never meant to start his own movement. It just happened that when he came to know and love Christ, he immersed himself in Scripture. And when what went on in Church didn’t match up with what went on in Scripture, Waldo refused to keep quiet. When an archbishop rebuked him, Waldo went to the pope, and the pope agreed with him, so he kept on speaking up. But when that pope died—on this date in 1184, the next pope condemned Waldo as a heretic. But even though Waldo was excommunicated, even though Waldo died, people continued to follow his lead and his teaching. More people joined the movement, and it spread into northern Italy and regions of Spain, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Poland. By the time the movement was fading, the Protestant Reformation was right around the corner. Here’s his story. Give away what you have, so God can provide what others need. There’s a reason the Dark Ages are called dark. Consider Waldo, who lived in the beautiful town of Lyons where two vital rivers converged. The trade here had made him a wealthy man. And he had everything he needed. But none of his stuff brought him satisfaction. Then one Sunday in 1173, a singing troubadour traveled through town. Laughing and talking and shuffling along, the crowd drew near. At first, the noise felt chaotic, but when the troubadour began a story song, the entire crowd hushed. Everyone listened—including Waldo. The troubadour sang a ballad about Alexis—a fifth-century mystic who had given all his wealth to help the poor. As the man sang about Alexis, Waldo’s pulse raced like the pounding hoofbeats of his favorite horse. He had to know more. Waldo invited the troubadour to stay in his well-appointed home, and that evening Waldo asked the singer many questions. They talked about wealth and how it impacted a man’s soul. They discussed the ballad and what it meant. The troubadour’s perspective excited Waldo, and his discernment troubled Waldo. He wondered about the state of his soul. He wondered if he pleased God. He wondered if he needed to change the way he lived. He wanted to better understand how to live a meaningful Christian life. So the next morning, Waldo sought the advice of the religious leaders. And they all had slightly different ideas. But one of them did point out the story in the Bible about a rich young man who had asked Jesus what he should do to be saved. In the story, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’” (Matthew 19:21 NASB). But the rich young man walked away full of sorrow. He did not want to give up his riches. Waldo would not be like the man in the story. He would not let his wealth come between him and God. He would not try to serve God and money. It couldn’t be done. He had to choose which one he would trust with his life. And Waldo made a plan. What he was about to do would have harsh consequences for his family if he didn’t provide for them. So he gave a portion of his wealth to his wife and paid to have his daughters taken care of at a nearby abbey. Then Waldo devoted himself to studying the Bible and giving away his money. As he read Scripture, he fought to decipher the Latin words, and it was frustrating. He also worried the common people in his community wouldn’t be able to understand the foreign text. Shouldn’t everyone be able to read God’s Word, so each person could learn how to follow Jesus? He paid two clerics to help him translate parts of the New Testament and some Christian literature into the local language. Waldo continued to give his money to the poor. When people asked him why he was giving away his wealth, he replied, “I was always more careful of money than of God and served the creature rather than the Creator.” He encouraged them to “learn to place hope in God and not in riches.” Eventually, all of Waldo’s wealth was dispersed, and he was free to fully focus on teaching about Jesus and serving the poor. How does this story shape how you think about generosity? What next step can you take? Give away what you have, so God can provide what others need. The birth name of Peter Waldo is no longer known. This name was given to him in later years to honor him as the one who established the Waldensians, also known as the “Poor Men of Lyons.” Details about Waldo’s conversion differ from source to source, but each account points to him being convicted by the story of Jesus telling the rich man to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Robinson, J. H. Readings in European History. Translated from an Anonymous Chronicle written in French about 1218. Boston: Ginn, 1905, pp. 381–383. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/waldo1. asp. Robinson, J. H. Adapted by Dan Graves “Waldo Sought a Truer Faith.” Christian History Institute #209. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/waldo-sought-a-truer-faith. Mazurka, Linden. “Who was Peter Waldo?” Owlcation. Updated December 10, 2016. https://owlcation.com/ humanities/Who-Was-Peter-Waldo. Story read by: Blake Mattocks Story written by: Paula Moldenhauer, http://paulamoldenhauer.com/ .