We just got back from a trip to continental Europe. There were some things there that as a Protestant Christian and as an American were shockingly different. The parts we toured- Rhine valley northern Germany, Strasbourg France, and Switzerland were still deeply affected by Christian faith- in some ways more than America is today.
Here is a verse for our thoughts: "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." (Isaiah 30:15).
I think when I was a child, I might say America was generally a step above Europe in many ways. We had purer sexual mores- adultery was rare and taboo. We still rested on Sundays (at least in the South)- and everybody rested- whether we wanted to or not (kind of like the two year old in day school who is told to lay down on their mat because it is "naptime/quiet time whether you'd like it or not." There was very little violence any where. While alcohol was being abused (as it is in many cultures- even back to Bible days), drugs were not a problem. Racism was and still is a problem in the American south- as it is in parts of Europe today in different ways (evident in attitudes toward immigrants).
One sharp contrast was what happens on Sundays. Church attendance in Europe is pretty dismal in some. places, but there are still large pockets (in the country around Wittenburg, and parts of Zurich for example) where church attendance is still relatively high and Christian mores are practiced. American church attendance has been in sharp decline since 911 and then sharper decline since Covid. There has been a sharp turning away from God by young people as the older (baby boomers) have made faith clearly optional and unimportant. Whereas 50 years ago the government clearly favored Christian mores, this has also been in decline.
However, in Europe, hardly anyone works on Sundays. You can't go normal shopping on Sundays. It is just a clear cultural rule. Perhaps this is a leftover from the church being a part of the state in most of Europe (not France). Europe clearly is less frantic and a bit more focused on doing good as a society. So there is sharply less litter on the roads- people take responsibility to make the world clean; there is a more environmental care; people eat together outside (a la fresca) not just whoofing down a burger (though McDonalds complete with brotwurst is everywhere now). Hundreds of thousands sit outside in cafes late at night for hours- not watching TV, not surfing the internet- or social media, not with their headphones on or their cell phones glued to their face, but actually talking. I would commend this. We could learn a lesson from their ability to be with each other and to take a rest.
Europe has been devastated and ravaged by wars in the 15th-20th centuries. Some would blame religions on this. But clearly it was the princes, dukes and kings that have been fighting for power- even going further back. The problem was that you would think religion would have stopped the wars in Europe. But the sin of medieval catholic clergy was that they wanted to be in control and even rule as dukes and princes (like a bishop in a chess game).
The religious side of the wars was aggravated by popes both excommunicating leaders and even interdicting whole sections of Europe with crusades. So Jan Huss of Prague was promised safe conduct and was told he could express his views. But instead he was imprisoned shortly after arriving in Constance and the Emperor in 1415 allowed him to be burned at the stake. Then the Pope declared five crusades against Bohemia of the Hussites- promising forgiveness and heaven for those who fought. This brings out, even more, the Protestant idea that we should not add (nor take away) from scripture. Where in scripture does it promise forgiveness for those who fight? Where does it say a religious leader can call for a fight? The Prince of Peace would be aghast. Tyndale was strangled for translating the Bible into English. Wycliffe was persecuted and then had his bones exhumed and desecrated. The Waldensians were exiled into the high Alps.
Originally the efforts were to reform the church in the Protestant Reformation- and remain in the church. But the popes at the time thought they could do to Luther, Zwingli, Bucer and Calvin as they did with Huss. So Luther was excommunicated and then declared an outlaw by Charles V- so he could be killed on sight as a blessing to the church; Calvin fled for his life from his house in Paris, was robbed, and was hunted. He had the previously seen a monk burned at the stake for his Lutheran testimony. Zwingli was killed at the battle of Kapel. Strasbourg was defeated and Bucer was threatened with death and fled at night to England. Today we see that many of the ideas of the Reformation have been adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. The Bibles are translated into the vernacular and worship and singing is in the vernacular; There is an easing toward justification by faith; There is an allowance by Roman Catholics to let laity (at least sometimes) receive the cup. Vatican II even recognizing Protestants as "separated brethren." If Christians had valued unity and love over power- both Protestant and Roman Catholic- unity could have been kept, and so many wars could have been avoided (or at least the religious wars could have been less likely). In America there has been a recognition that freedom of religion is important- and there has been an avoidance of wars. The American church has been devastated by leaders who will not believe the scriptures. So many will just ask the question, "Why bother?" The sin of the church in fighting and disbelief is devastating and frankly avoidable. Martin Bucer was a rare example of someone valuing unity (with both catholics at first, and then trying to unite Lutherans and the Reformed). We could learn from Bucer and follow in his footsteps for the glory of God. In America, secularly we have freedom. But religiously- there are still super power struggles (even though most ministers get paid a modest salary). People fight over church property (witness the Presbyterian and United Methodist fees paid to leave).
I guess my point is we could learn lessons from each other. The lesson of keeping a day of rest to hold onto our mental and physical health; the lesson of valuing unity more than power (often disguised as an attempt at truth); and the lesson of holding onto scripture- not to expert opinions, or individual consumerism.
Prayer: Lord, may we find our rest and unity and love in you. Help us to repent of our lack of love and lack of faithfulness.
