The Silent Cry

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? Have you ever turned away in a crowd as a tear runs down your cheek?

We are called upon by society to be upbeat, positive, outgoing and strong, but for many of us this projection does not reflect what is really going on in our lives: the heartache, emotional trauma, pain of rejection or loneliness.

Europe is like this. It projects strength and positivism. The European Union (EU) is the wave of the future. But what are the people of the EU like?

Do Europeans have a Silent Cry?

"Europeans are a vanishing species."1 In this line from the January 16, 2000, issue of London Times, Patrick Buchanan captures vividly but in a terse manner the subject at hand. He supports the statement with these statistics: "In 1960, people from European ancestry were one-fourth of the world's population; in 2000, they were one-sixth; in 2050, they will be one-tenth. These are the statistics of a vanishing race"2 Buchanan goes on to say, in this telling statistical story about the decline in population of Europeans, that "of the twenty nations with the lowest birthrates in the world, eighteen are in Europe."3 The outlook for future generations of Europeans is, at best, not very bright, according to Buchanan.

One may ask, "Why such a population decline?"

The question "Why?" can be answered partially in light of the sinkhole of spiritual depravity that Europe is in. Deuteronomy 28:62 says, "You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God."4

In what way does this disobedience work itself out in European society? I would contend that two clear indicators of this moral sinking are euthanasia and abortion. In regard to euthanasia, I cite these three illustrations from European countries:

"On November 28, 2000, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament voted 104 to 40 to legalize assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia . . . ."5

"A university of Belgium study found that one in ten deaths there is doctor-induced by legal injection without the patient's permission or by withholding treatment. In Zurich, assisted suicide is permissible in homes for the elderly."6

Not since the killing camps of the Nazi regime has the taking of human life become so shameful and unproblematic. Regard for the gift of life seems to be at an all-time low and continues to lower with each consecutive year.

Also in light of this illustration, the other indicator, abortion, is taking on bubonic- plague-like numbers. Consider this sampling of abortion rates across Europe.

The Tribune asks the question, "Has Europe created a society that is fundamentally anti-children?"8 The author indicates that one of the main answers to this question is the preoccupation with finances and the good lifestyle that couples enjoy. It is gratification now and uncertainty about the future. Europe is a continent without hope because it is a continent that ignores or has forgotten its Christian heritage.

Do Europeans have a Silent Cry?

With Europeans vanishing, who will support the work force, the tax structure and the social security system? What compromises will have to be made to maintain the good life that European couples strive for, even at the demise of their heirs? What customs, languages, values and faith will be brought in to fill the vacuum of a continent that has forgotten, ignored or lost its faith?

The answer over the past several decades has been immigration. Immigration has been so massive that some cities in Europe are now more Muslim than Christian. Samuel Escobar says in regard to this massive immigration, "Migration patterns and refugee movements have also brought the great variety of cultures from this planet, as well as different forms that the Christian church has taken among them to Europe, the United States and Canada. At the heart of European and North American cities, there are now growing pockets of Third World cultures, as well as varied expressions of the global church. From the missionary perspective, indigenous churches from faraway places have become sister churches down the street, and growing Muslim communities have become new evangelistic challenges that put to the test the quality of our Christian lives, as well as our ability to communicate the gospel."9 The 10/40 Window depicts the absolute poverty of evangelical Christianity within the countries of this window.

Europe's statistics are comparable to these countries. Here are a few examples: Austria 0.5 percent; France 0.8 percent; Spain 0.4 percent; Albania 0.3 percent; Slovenia 0.2 percent; Macedonia 0.2 percent. For these reasons the Europe region's strategic focus is to reach cities, campuses, children and immigrants (www.eyeoneurope.org).

What can you do?

You can PRAY! You can GIVE! You can GO! Europeans need committed, culturally aware, dedicated, friendly, integral, honest, PASSIONATE-about-Jesus and sensitive young people whose words match up with their lifestyle. Europeans need someone in tune with God who can HEAR, through spiritual discernment and a compassionate heart for people, their Silent Cries and offer them the hope that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. Are you one of those who can help? PRAY! GIVE! GO!

1 Patrick J. Buchanan, The Death of the West ( New York: Thomas Dunne Books), 11.
2 Ibid., 12.
3 Ibid., 13.
4 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New International Version.
5 Patrick J. Buchanan. The Death of the West ( New York: Thomas Dunne Books), 110.
6 Ibid., p. 112.
7 Prolife Campaign [online]; available from http://www.prolifecampaign.com, slide 2, (accessed 8 August 2003).
8 Ibid.
9 Samuel Escobar. Global Missiology for the 21 st Century. William D. Taylor, ed. ( Grand Rapids, Michigan Baker Academic), 27.