German in Germany

Introduction / History

Germany is both a nation and a collection of city-states. Seated in the center of Europe, Germany was not united until 1871. English speaking countries usually confine German history to World War I and World War II with special emphasis on the Nazi Regime. In fact, German speakers had lived in Romania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic in a patchwork of settlements for many centuries. Thus, German culture and thought have had a profound impact on Central Europe, especially in academia. Even today, sources say that the German passport is the number one sought after passport in the world and there are about 100 million German speakers on the continent, making it the largest language group on the continent.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Today's Germans are usually split into two different "mindsets": those of East and those of West Germany, despite reunification in 1990. Germans love their local region and soccer teams to the point of worship. They also love and almost worship American culture thanks to the American media and film. Berliners often look to New York as the gold standard of a metropolis. Even the language of German is rapidly evolving into what is called "Neu Deutsch," whereby perfectly good German words are replaced with English words or American sayings.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Germans fought more than a few wars in the name of religion. Just sharing the gospel or sharing beliefs is viewed upon negatively, as is an overzealous or charismatic expression of Christianity. Most people still attending church are very old. Most young people will say Christianity is outdated. Instead, they satisfy their spiritual needs with a patchwork of New Age spiritual pursuits. Reaching a German speaker's heart, or the heart of most western Europeans, is best done through action rather than by debate. They carefully watch the life of a believer and see how they respond to adversity, hardship, self-discipline and self-sacrifice. A truly faithful believer who lives out the Jesus way will really earn respect and favor even if the observer doesn't convert.

On a final note, Germany has taken in more than a few refugees from many different and even warring ethnic groups. In doing so, many of these refugees, such as the Yazidis in the Hannover area, report having had dreams about Jesus when fleeing the Middle East. Then, in Germany they hear the Gospel for the first time and revival is breaking out quietly all over. German Christians say it is nothing short of amazing.

Prayer Points

Pray for Germans to return to some amazing theology they themselves discussed in centuries past.
Pray against idolatry and pride and a softening of hearts.
Pray for repentance and forgiveness of those who have wronged or murdered others in the name of religion.
Pray against the lie that science is at odds with faith.

Text Source:   Anonymous