Wind, wind, blow on me

Luther was indeed a deft deployer of schatological language, not only due to the medieval association of the devil with filth (in another assault: “But if that is not enough for you, you Devil, I have also shit and pissed; wipe your mouth on that and take a hearty bite”), but also because of its place in the discourse of monastic culture. And, of course, as an advocate of the plain sense of scripture, Luther no doubt interpreted Mark 8:33 - “Get thee behind me, Satan!” - in a straightforward anatomical way.

It is said that Luther’s tower experience was, in fact, a toilet experience, i.e. that his breakthrough on the sola fide came to the reformer during a dump (always an ordeal, as he suffered from chronic constipation) - a true tipping-point! - which makes sense if the crapper is devil’s domain. Luther himself said: “The Spiritus Sanctus gave me this realization in the cloaca.”

As a matter of fact, my most recent hymn “Praise to Jesus in the kitchen” - I thought of making it “Praise to Jesus in the toilet”; but apart from the more restrictive rhyme-scheme (though come to think of it, “soil it” fits nicely!), I thought some folk might find it objectionable in a congregational context - and others might start laughing so much that we’d never get to the next line.