During our holiday we spent 2 days in Geneva, Switzerland (a drive of around 3 hours from our home). We have never really had a look around the city before and as this is the 500th anniversary of the birth of the most influential man ever to live in the city, we took the opportunity to visit the sites associated with John Calvin. It was very special to be able to visit these locations and to remember one who was so influential in continuing what Luther and others had begun. His pulpit was central to his ministry in Geneva, for it was here that he brought the people away from the traditions of Rome and back to the Word of God. It was here that he brought comfort and hope to Genevan's and others who were seeking refuge from increasing persecution in France and other European countries.
What made his ministry distinctive was his Bible-based, Christ-centered, and life-changing systematic, verse-by-verse exposition of the scriptures both through preaching and in writing, particularly his magnum opus, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
It was a personal joy for me as a father to explain the significance of these things to my sons as we sat under that great pulpit in St. Pierre Cathedral. I was so glad that they were interested as I simply explained to them "that we should be very thankful to God for the Pastor who preached here, because he told the people that what the Bible said was more important than anything else and that as a result of his preaching, the same message went out across Europe and the world".
It was also a unique experience to visit the Reformation Wall in the Le parc des Bastions and to look upon the 5 m-tall statues of Calvinism's 4 main proponents: Theodore Beza (1519 – 1605), John Calvin (1509 – 1564), William Farel (1489 – 1565) and John Knox (c.1513 – 1572).
We also visited the International Museum of the Reformation and the special exhibition they are hosting entitled, A day in the life of John Calvin.
It's not cheap to stay in Geneva, so we took the cheapest option, a tent in a nearby-campsite! An added bonus was the free travel passes that every guest staying in the City receives. This gives free use of buses, boats, trains and trams, so we were able to get around the city without the hassle of driving and looking for a parking space.
