See Europe through His eyes

When people make life commitments to be missionaries in Europe, it involves  learning a new language, raising children in a foreign country and try to minister in a strange culture. They need to have strong reasons for making those commitments.

The way God usually gives missionaries the power to stay in Europe is to let them see Europe through His eyes and help them to understand the real spiritual plight of people. Let's take a closer look.

 

Most Europeans are ignorant of the gospel Generations of people have lived and died, completely separated from the church and Christian influence. Church buildings represent  monuments of an era when Christianity was central to life in Europe. But, as Europeans see it, none of that has any relevance to life in the 20th century. Christianity is seen as a past political power of popes, priests and clergy who were once a part of the sociopolitical structure. Becoming an active Christian today would mean embracing a medieval lifestyle. Europeans in general have rejected the gospel without understanding its message. Their understanding of Christianity is a caricature of the real thing. So they reject the gospel along with the church and its system as they have known it.   The ratio of true believers to the total population is extremely small In some countries of Europe, as few as 0.5% of the total population are evangelical Christians. The few Europeans who attend state churches will not likely hear the truth because official churches (Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox) have, for the most part, denied the verities of the Word of God. They have placed the traditions of church, which have been added over the years, on an equal footing with the Bible. God in His mercy has saved a few who remain in those churches and we rejoice in that.   Nominal Christianity in Western Europe is not the same as biblical Christianity. In Europe one is born Protestant or Catholic. In both cases one is considered to be a Christian. Even some of our missions experts call these people Christians to distinguish them from Muslims, Hindus or those from other world religions. The prevailing world view or religion in Europe is materialism. Ideologies are not important. Right and wrong don't seem to matter. In politics, the party offering the greatest economic benefit gets the nod. "What's in it for me?" is the dominant question.   Europe has become secularized People appear apathetic. They feel Christianity has failed, so they have replaced it with a more up-to-date philosophy. They have sealed themselves off from the church and its message. Eddie Gibbs, quoted by Ant Greenham in "Secular Europe" EMQ July, 1992, gives a definition of secularism. He writes, "Secularization has shaped a world view, which people have not consciously chosen but which permeates their  thinking in every area of life. Secularism, the philosophy, is built on empiricism and positivism, maintaining that the real world is the world experienced through the five senses." The religion of Europe is not biblical Christianity. It is materialism in a secularized society. Europeans have embraced a modern-day religion with a closed system that rules out God and His revelation.   Clarification are needed in our thinking about the real needs in Europe George Murray, General Director of TEAM, has rightly pointed out that mission fields of the world need to be evaluated in terms of spiritual awareness, not in terms of geographical or cultural distance. Mr. Murray also says that the terms "unreached" and "hidden" are not synonymous. Not all unreached people are hidden. We know very well where they reside but we haven't been going to them with the gospel.   European believers, who make up a tiny minority, need help to evangelize their own people Europeans evangelicals who have assessed the situation say that without help from the outside they cannot possibly do the job or reach the masses who are ignorant of the gospel. The majority of Europeans have had no meaningful contact with real Christianity during their lives. They live their lives and never once open a Bible, pick up a piece of Christian literature, hear a clear presentation of the gospel, or even meet a believer in Christ.   A new strategy The existence of this small minority of evangelical Christians does not mean these countries have been evangelized. What it does mean is that it should cause us to make adjustments in our strategy. We must recognize the evangelical church and its leaders and evaluate with them the present situation in their respective countries. Together we can try to determine what kind of partnerships can best be worked out and how missionaries can best utilize their resources.   The openings for ministry in Eastern Europe could bring spiritual vitality to Western Europe Political oppression before the demise of communism made communication with the West difficult. Today great missionary forces are moving into former Soviet Union countries. Many churches are vibrant and Christians are eager to serve. We have an opportunity to do two things. We can help Western  European believers and churches take this window of opportunity in the East. At the same time, we can pray and work so that some of this fervor will touch the West where spiritual awareness is desperately low.   Send the workers Missions agencies and evangelic churches should not only consider Western Europe as mission field but should send workers there with enthusiasm and vision, trusting God for a spiritual awakening among its nearly 375 million people.