"Why Europe?" Still a question worth asking...
Lynna and I did not know what to expect when we walked into Rome. We knew it was more than a place with rich history and the Colosseum. We knew that it has been a place that God’s people have been working since the first century.
Its absolutely crazy that you would be killed for being a Christian in Rome in 300AD. And in 400AD, you could be killed for not being a Christian. This reminded me of Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 26.
Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.”
I think what Jesus meant is that His kingdom will come and God’s will is going to be done no matter what. I do not believe that Jesus wanted his kingdom to expand through fear, war, power, or money. The Roman Catholic Church believes they are the “original church”. Yet, Rome was persecuting and killing the original members of the church for three centuries prior to Christianity finally being legal. Yes, the Catholic Church was a great start to honoring Christ, yet “the Church” was the church long before a cathedral was ever built.
We enjoyed many parts of Rome. Some parts more than others. How clean can a city that’s thousands of years old really be? Graffiti is everywhere, poop lines the sidewalks, and cigarette butts are scattered next to overflowing trash bins at every corner.
But at the same time, Italian culture is wonderful and beautifully complex. Relationships are everything. We learned that most Italians go to the same coffee shop everyday for their cappuccino or espresso. Italians are passionate and driven. Their cuisine is some of the best in the world. We can tell you first hand that you have not had real ice cream until you experience Gelato from a Gelateria. It just hits different.
We are all searching for something greater than ourselves, and Romans are no different. Some find their identity in the rituals of the catholic church, some find it in their pizzeria, some in politics, and many others find it in new age practices.
We served with some university students that wanted to compare the beliefs of Romans to the beliefs of people in their home town in South Carolina. So we interviewed people asking the southerners and the Romans the same questions about their culture, likes & dislikes, and their beliefs about God. This was a great opportunity to learn about true Roman culture. We interviewed people from all over Rome. And obviously, we care about their soul, their heart, and their wellbeing in Christ, so we concluded with the question about Jesus every time.
About half of the southerners interviewed were professing Christians. Out of the 30 Romans, and immigrants living in Rome, that we interviewed, no one professed relationship with Jesus. Countless others that we prayed for and met had an idea of God, but Jesus was not the only way to eternal life and peace with God. The idea of receiving grace as a free gift from God is just not possible in the minds of many.
We learned that many people are dealing with Church hurt in Italy just like many are in America at the moment. It is becoming more and more apparent that the organized church is trying to do the right thing, yet some inside of the church with selfish motives have hurt many people in the process.
“In the last 30 years, people do not faithfully practice Catholicism, it is just a part of our culture.”
-an Italian named “Leo”
So, you are telling me that Rome, home of the Vatican, and the “Capitol of Christianity”, has less than 2% of people who claim relationship to Jesus? Is the gospel being preached? Or have these churches and cathedrals become houses of trade, shrines to saints and the virgin Mary, and places to work your way into relationship with Jesus? I’ll answer that. Yes. They unfortunately have.
Do I believe that people can be Catholic and truly love Jesus? Yes. Have we seen that yet in Europe? Not at all really. We have met believers with true relationship to Jesus who are Greek Orthodox. It is deeply engrained in their culture and they know nothing else about church, except tradition. At the same time, many Greek Orthodox churches view evangelicals as a cult and preach a works based salvation heavily relying on James 2. I have heard on multiple occasions as well that many Eastern Orthodox practices do not want their members to read the Bible.
Im not just coming after orthodox religion either. Are protestants and evangelicals perfect? Ha! Not even a little. We’ve got houses of trade right here in America and God hates it. Is the answer to relationship with Jesus an organized sect or denomination of Christ? No. Not even close. The answer is in the finished work of Christ that leads to disciples being made. How can we find God and how has he revealed himself to us? The Bible. All scripture is God breathed. (2 Tim 3) There is a reason scripture has been preserved and used as foundation for the Jews for millennia. Now, God’s word is for all, and since Jesus is the word, (John 1) it is the foundation of our faith.
“I was encouraged by the faithfulness of missionaries to purse the Lord in a place that is misunderstood by so many in the states. Many of the missionaries struggled to raise support due to people not understanding the need that is in Rome for the gospel. However, it is perhaps the most (spiritually) lost place I have ever been. I would compare Rome to a spiritual desert despite the cathedrals you see on every corner. It is a place of deep spiritual hurt from religion. Some scholars have argued that it is so far from God that it isn’t post-Christian anymore, but pre-Christian.”
I have to be constantly reminded that I am not the end to another person’s story. I am called by God to be obedient and share the love of Christ. Whatever happens next is up to the Holy Spirit. God loves Rome more than any of us ever will, but there is work to be done! He is moving and He invites us to join Him in this wonderful opportunity.
So, why Europe for mission…? Well, first of all, we discuss that topic in this podcast that I get the honor to host. We break down specific locations and the “Why” of GEM in Europe! Give it a listen and a rating, it can really help us in the future.
I am excited to say that many young adults are buying into the mission and vision of GEM. This new generation that many find are walking away from God, lots of them are also pursuing His mission. You just have to be looking in the right places.
You know what doesn’t make sense to the average person? That someone would raise $5600, plus flights, to serve in a foreign context for a summer. No pay, no guarantee of safety, no earthly benefit to their career, really. Yet this summer, seventy-four young adults from all over North America have done just that. We spent 10 days with this group sharing meals, worshipping, and equipping them for the work they are going to do in Europe. It was such an amazing time!
These “cross cultural workers”, as some call them, are not just providing humanitarian aid or a smile on their way to their ministry site. Their hope is to share the love of Jesus with people who are searching for Him. This topic is important to me. Short term mission trips sometimes turn into American churches coming and doing amazing things like feeding people, serving the homeless, playing with the local orphan, but they do not share the gospel. A “white savior complex”, some call it.
There is a quote I want to address that I have heard time after time, it goes “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” I completely disagree. Many attribute that quote to St. Francis of Assisi. I am not convinced that someone who ministers the gospel will not actually speak it to people but rely on their good works to somehow convince people to believe in Jesus?
If we go into these places to feed people, serve others, and provide human aid without sharing the hope of Jesus, we are no different than the Peace Corps. It is our honor to share the hope of Jesus with this world.
- Dwight, GEM Romania
Preaching/sharing/speaking/ the gospel is a must for all believers.
“ 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
This is why we go. We go because the world has spoken and shared their perspective. They desire to be fulfilled with something beautiful, life giving, and hopeful. We believe we have found this treasure everyone is looking for. Our passion is to share that with the world. All because God created us, loves us, desires relationship with us, and has created us for that purpose. He is worth every bit of this sacrificial journey we call life.
