Europe is beset by growing angst about its identity and place in the world.
by Darris McNeely
As the introduction of the European
common currency on January 1, 1999 draws closer, the questions of "What
exactly, is Europe?" and "What will be the impact of the Euro on international
monetary markets?" are being asked in many quarters. Within the church
of God we might also ask, "Will European unification signal the rise
of the prophetical beast power?" and "Why exactly do we watch and wait
for a union of European states?"
In an article in the October 19,
1998, Wall Street Journal titled "Europeans Search For a Shared
Identity Amid Dark Memories," reporter Robert Frank outlined some of
the contradictions that lie in the path of eventual European union:
"'What exactly is Europe?' asks
Angelique Berky, a 15-year-old high-school student in a European Studies
class. Her classmates are equally puzzled. 'Isn't it everything between
Russia and Iceland?' offers a classmate. 'Russia isn't Europe,' interrupts
a girl with a baseball hat and Nike sneakers. 'Britain's not really
Europe either. They're more like…Americans.'"
"So it goes in Europe's quest to
find itself. Even as this sweeping region exudes newfound confidence-new
currency, new leaders, new hype about a Third Way to organize national
economies-Europe is beset by growing angst about its identity and place
in the world. No region produces as many schemes to define itself,
and yet no region remains as poorly defined. While America and Asia
are grappling with the world financial crisis, Europe has the added
existential burden of figuring out just what it is" (Wall Street
Journal, October 19, 1998, page 1).
Unification in Spite of Resistance
The process of unification will
continue despite uncertainty and resistance inherent in the differences
of the many nations that constitute Europe. The many languages of Europe
constitute a formidable barrier to the single identity that a true
union represents. While many, especially the youth, are bilingual,
most Europeans cannot carry on a conversation in a language other than
their own.
