Europe-tions

As protests in France are smoldering, demonstrations across Europe are flaring.

People are taking to the streets in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Albania to protest a range of issues, including rising living costs, corruption, and wars in the Middle East. Italy deployed soldiers to Rome, Milan, and other cities to quell riots; several hundred protesters stormed the Roman Colosseum on Saturday.

Meanwhile, France saw its fifth week of mass protests, with at least 410,000 people gathering across the country Saturday. Tighter security and curfews slightly subdued violence, with ~1,300 arrests made (down from ~2,600 last weekend) and fewer instances of vandalism reported.

Amid the unrest, the NFL hosted its first-ever game in Paris yesterday. The Steelers-Saints matchup marched on, but some outside-the-stadium events were closed for “potential accessibility issues.”

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Unrest in our world is another symptom of its brokenness, and it makes our hearts ache for a world at rest. But as Christians, we can quiet our hearts in the face of global disquiet because we know that in Jesus, there is soul-satisfying rest available today and world-changing, eternal rest coming soon.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (CSB) (read full passage)