From outside France, you might be wondering what is going on here at the moment, so I thought I’d give you my two pennies worth on the subject, as a Frenchman who has lived abroad for the most part of the last 11 years, an recently gone back to the homeland.
First of all, French people are very conservative. They do not like change, and often live in an idealised past, where “history is used as a windshield against reality” to quote Le Monde, reality being to painful to face. Over the last 10-15 years, people have become more and more worried. The world has changed, they know it. They probably also know that things need to change, but it is painful as it does not fit with their idea of how things should be. So, I would say that the massive disruptions we are seeing at the moment are an expression of a deeper anxiety.
I would also add that when I grew up, going to High school and University here in France, there was always a romanticised view of May 1968. Each time there were student strikes, people were longing to see a new Spring of 1968 happen, with its national strikes and urban riots. I think there could be a bit of that as well. There is a lot of hype, and people are like sheep, and follow the lead. The medias are not helping, and social medias must have a role in mobilising more people. I think if you took time to chat with some of the people demonstrating, you’d see that the government reforms are only an excuse. They are anxious about their present and their future.
So, what next? There’ll be problems for another few days or weeks. I don’t know what the government will do, it doesn’t really matter I think. Then, people will go home, with their anxiety about the present and the future. They’ll bury their heads in the sand once more, until next time.
So, what can you do? Well, pray for two things. First for the government, that they will have wisdom to do the right thing. Secondly, pray for the preaching of the gospel, that it will come with power, and that the Lord will visit his people here, so that they can bring a change to society for good.