The Gospel and the Old World

Tim Weeks, Interviewed by S.G.D.

The recent divergence between French and U.S. policy on Iraq led to much discussion in the media of a possible schism between the "New World" and the "Old World." In an interview with Tim Weeks, ABWE missionary to France, I asked him whether a schism really exists between French and American cultures, and how he shares the gospel across cultures.

How does the French opposition reflect the current state of their nation?

Of the 58 million people in France, 6.5 million are Muslims, more than 10% of the population. France walks a fine line between its allies and its domestic problems. The Gulf War in 1991 saw serious repercussions in France-bombs in the Metro, violent deaths on the street. The French Muslim community feels a strong sense of solidarity with Muslims around the world, to the extent that some lash out when their international "brothers" are threatened or killed. Immigrants from former French colonies such as Algeria bear much resentment against the French imperialism which scarred their home countries. French citizens feared the consequences of French involvement in the war would be further unrest and violence at home. On the street, people say "Why should France pay at home for what the U.S. does?"

How does this affect your outreach? Are the French "anti-American" now, as some American papers have suggested?

My own neighborhood is a profile of the population ratio: I have eleven neighbors, two of whom are Muslim. We have noticed tension in trying to reach out to the Muslim community since our return to France in 2002-a cooling of the relationship.

However, most of the French remain friendly. The ABWE France team specifically targets the upper middle class community for outreach. The many church plants in France among the lower classes and the needy tend to neglect the upper middle class, so we filled the gap. Among these people, we have noticed opposition only to American politics, not to American people or culture.

My son's teenage friend asked me recently, "Why do French malls always play American pop music?" The truth is that American culture is ubiquitous due to the impact of globalism: American pop music rules the Top 40 international chart; American films are launched in France, Italy, and Japan simultaneously with their Hollywood premieres. Appealing to French interest in American culture is one of our most effective outreach methods.

American culture helps you bridge the cultural barrier?

Yes. The French are incredibly eager to learn English and experience American culture. In a country where people do not attend church and reject the idea of religion, it is necessary to create non-threatening, non-traditional opportunities for them to hear the gospel. So we invite them to "American" activities, performances of singers and university drama groups from the United States. We staged a concert in the park featuring a classical orchestra and choir who interspersed musical numbers with testimonies. We hold game nights and American food nights-people come to eat hotdogs and hamburgers, and at the end of the night they hear testimonies and an explanation of the gospel.

The French respond with great hospitality to Americans who communicate the belief that France is valuable in her own right, because of her rich culture and beautiful language. It is only when they perceive you as being arrogant-the "Ugly American" criticizing their "little country"-that they display the infamous streak of meanness. I have never had a French person speak rudely to me.

What particular challenges do you face in French culture? Is France really characterized by secularism and decadence?

Though they have the same problems as everyone else, broken families, troubled marriages, rebellious kids that have everything, the upper middle class community is often blind to their own needs. The emptiness in their lives is cushioned by the toys they have: the high definition televisions, the sprawling houses, the electronic gadgetry.

In France, almost everyone claims they are Roman Catholic, but are quick to add, "non-practicing." They don't attend Mass except on holidays: Christmas, Easter, or funerals. The Roman Catholic Church is suffering in France from a lack of young men entering the priesthood. So the French are aware of Roman Catholicism, but not interested in it. Secularism is the dominant influence.

This is compounded by the fact that the exposure the evangelical community receives in the French media is generally derogatory and links all evangelicals with cults. People perceive Baptists, Mormons, and the Solar Temple cultists as all equivalent.

Another major challenge is the continuing influence of postmodernism. French universities are impregnated with the postmodernist thought of Derrida, Foucault, Lyotard, and Barthes, all French thinkers. Increasingly, their ideas permeate mainstream media and culture. Relativism rules on the street: "What's not right for you might be right for me." The concept of absolute truth is considered not only impossible, but oppressive. God, if He exists, is irrelevant, for neither He, nor the person's own self, can be known. Religion is just an instrument of those who desire power. Those who preach tolerance are often paradoxically intolerant of the so-called intolerance of Christianity.

What strategies do you have to counteract this?

What we have discovered is a startling ignorance of the gospel. So many French don't even know the Bible has two divisions, the Old and New Testaments. We have to start at the very beginning to explain it. One of our goals is to help people to understand what the gospel is before they reject "religion" out of hand.

We can't just present the four spiritual laws in 15 minutes as we might to Americans, who would have sufficient religious heritage to understand. Instead, we use a special lesson book that targets postmodern Europeans. We invite them to come to "Take Five Evenings" and learn about the Bible. We've started a religious association whose objectives are education and cultural interaction: through teaching people what the Bible is and giving them opportunities to experience American culture, we can also lead them to Christ.

Another strategy that has proved amazingly effective is also used by our ABWE-Italy team. At Christmas time, we give out evangelistic calendars to all our friends and acquaintances-everyone from our neighbors to our bankers and the insurance guy. The French are surprised that we care enough about them to spend time and thought on a special gift.

Often, people who only frowned when we tried to connect with them are speechless when we give them the calendars. The next time we meet, they often invite us to coffee or into their homes. Suddenly, we have the opportunity to say, "We want to share some very important information with you-who God is to us," and they are eager to listen.

In conclusion, do you have any stories of how the Lord has been working in France?

Yes, let me tell you about two of our ladies. Jacqueline is well-educated and speaks three languages; she and her husband are both sophisticated, international travelers. Year after year she came to our "Five Evenings" seminars. Every time she asked question after question. She heard the gospel presented many times. But when she talked with my wife, Marsha, she would protest, "I have always been a Christian," and we saw that she still did not understand the gospel. Then one night Marsha shared once again the plan of salvation in simple, concise terms, and suddenly Jacqueline began to weep. "Christ died for ME," she exclaimed. After three years, she finally trusted Christ as her Savior.

After Jacqueline trusted Christ, she began inviting Maguelone, a medical student in her early thirties, to Bible studies. As the students asked questions in the Bible studies, the Lord presented opportunities again and again to share the gospel. Maguelone often had deep concerns that she wanted to discuss with me alone. She heard the gospel over and over, but did not respond, and eventually we lost touch with her. We could only pray that the Lord would bring her back. Then we went on furlough.

When we returned in August 2002, we were immediately contacted by six women who wanted to have Bible study again, and Maguelone was among them. At the third meeting, Maguelone stayed behind. In tears, she told me that one night while Marsha and I were away, she had been unable to sleep. She was moved to read the passages of Scripture which we had discussed so long ago, and suddenly, she understood that she was a sinner and trusted God.

So Maguelone got saved "all by herself"!

Yes, she had no contact with missionaries for many months, and yet the Lord was at work in her heart. In France, we plant seeds and water them and pray, and often weep as we ask the Lord to show us the fruit, but the Lord saves in His own time, in His own way.