Germany: Religion

The old joke about religion in Europe, like any good joke, has humor because there is an element of truth. "At times Europe can be terribly crowded.  If you want to be alone, where can you go? Try a church on Sunday morning."

Or Christmas Eve, as it turns out. As we were in Berlin for Christmas, we decided to visit Berlin's iconic Gedächniskirche.  We were in the neighborhood the day before so we stopped by and checked the board to see what was going on. Christmas Eve they had a service at seven and at nine something listed as an organ concert. We decided on the Christmas Eve concert and showed up about 20 minutes til, knowing how things are at our church on Christmas.  Show up on time and you won't get a seat. We had no problem. As a matter of fact, the church - which probably seats 400 may have had a dozen people in it. But then, we were there 20 minutes early.

By the time the concert started there may have been 60 people there. Yes, that would be concert - not service. Despite the fact that it was Christmas Eve there was no religious element to the evening whatsoever. In fact there was almost no speaking, whatsoever. There was the introduction of organist and description of his musical choices and a note that financial support on your way out would be welcome.

I was in a church on Christmas Eve but it wasn't like going to church. Now, from an academic perspective you could say I learned a lot from my experience but I was personally unsatisfied.  So the following Sunday morning we went back for the real thing. This time there was a service but they're still weren't many people there. Maybe there were about 50, again spread around a pretty big church. Each group sat by themselves. Where we sat there was no one in either the row in front,  nor the row behind. We could not reach out and touch another person, even if they were reaching for us. We were alone.

The service was nice.  Having grown up Lutheran, it was very familiar. The sermon was about evangelism - spreading the good word. Why we believe, and a call to consider those who have never been introduced to religion. In Berlin that is a salient message.  Between the general secularization of postwar Western society and the aggressive atheism of East Germany, there is now an irreligious majority in Berlin and its surrounding state of Brandenberg. That may explain the Christmas Eve program. How do you get the non-religious to come to the church on Christmas? Offer a free concert and perhaps there is a spark?