The following is an article I wrote for for Mikado, the quarterly newsletter of our sending church, Mikado Baptist Church (www.mikadobaptist.org). It is reprinted with permission.

When you think of France, images of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame may come to mind. Perhaps you also think of a beautiful countryside with picturesque towns and pastures with dairy cows. Or perhaps when you think of France you think of a language that defines love or world renowned cuisine. France is all of these. The sights are incredible, the country side is quaint and refreshing, and the food is out of this world!

Now instead of France, think of the French people. What comes to mind? I am afraid that negative thoughts invade many minds at the thought of the French. But why? Political differences? A clash of worldviews? Historical baggage? I have heard of churches who have snubbed missionaries to the French because “Europe had its chance [to receive the Gospel]” or worse. At the core of this attitude is racism. These things simply should not be so.

Scripture teaches us that Christ had no tolerance for racism. He was Jewish, and the Jews had a grotesque hatred for the “half-breed” Samaritans. Yet Christ loved the Samaritans, and He reached out to them. The Samaritan woman at the well is the most famous of these interactions. Culture gave every reason for Christ to walk on by, yet He chose to minister to a lady with great spiritual needs. We know the result.

So back to the French now. As Americans, are we willing to allow our national and political differences to cause us to cross France off our list of nations in need? I’m not! Though many elements of French culture are beautiful, many are quite the opposite. A nation the size of the state of Texas, France has the highest number of adults per capita being treated for mental illnesses in the world. The Roman Catholic population exceeds 85%. France ranks 16th in the world in suicide rates. France even prides itself on being a secular nation.

As I walk down the streets of Paris, I see throngs of people, and I remind myself that each face represents an individual and every individual an eternal soul. In the grocery stores, the volume of alcoholic beverages for sale paints a picture of people turning to everything but Christ. The masses of people filing onto the subway are begging for a church in their town. Perhaps the picture was once far different in Europe. Maybe Europe once saw the clear Light of the Gospel. But not today. France is shrouded in darkness.

I beg you to see the French through a different lens. Set aside your previous notions. I beg you to see the French through the lens of God’s Word. They are people for whom Christ died. Only 2% of France’s 65 million population claims to be Protestant (the number would be much smaller if we were able to narrow Protestant to truly-born again believers). This means that in all likelihood, almost 64 million people in France stand poised to spend eternity separated from God.

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few…” Christ reminds us in Matthew 9. Will you pray for laborers in France? Instead of asking God why you should go, perhaps you should ask God why you shouldn’t!