8 March 2010 note: My interest in Scandinavia largely began in high school, and for quite a few years I thought seriously about getting involved in church planting there. Although I really don't see myself doing that anymore, I still maintain an interest in the region, and am always looking and praying for efforts to promote the gospel there.

A number of people very recently have been interrogating me about my fasincation with the Nordic countries. To spare my already hoarse voice from having to explain it to people, I would like to post a number of reasons for my interest in the Scandinavian region.

I honestly don't know where the interest started. I only remember one day a few years ago when the country of Norway came into my mind, and I began to Google for information about the country. That's where it all began and it's been going ever since. I did all kinds of things to learn. I looked for books at the library on history and tourism, though there were pathetically few. I spent lots of time searching random things on the internet, such as different cities, cultural information, and whatever else I could glean from online browsing. My interest has shifted, and I've spent time studying some of Norway and Sweden, and now am studying Finland.

So why the interest? I think the biggest reason I have interest in Scandinavia is that it is different. It's not radically different, like countries in Asia or Africa, because the countries are still Western. But it has a more distinctive and separate history from the rest of Western Europe. The history of the Nordic countries is not particularly exciting in comparison to other parts of Europe---with the exception of maybe Sweden's rise to power in the 17th century---but it remains interesting to me because it is birthed out of Viking society, which is somewhat different than the rest of medieval Europe. It also has been a society that has developed more or less in isolation from the rest of the continent. I think its separation from the mainland has a big part to play in this.

Another thing that grabs me is the sheer beauty of the region. From Norway's rugged mountains and fjords to Finland's flatter land covered in beautiful forested areas and more than 60,000 lakes, the terrain is spectacular. With a population density of 14 people per km² in Norway up to 20 per km² in Sweden, the amount of open, natural land is not lacking either. All you need to do an image search online to uncover the natural beauty of creation in these countries.

I am also intrigued as to the reason why the Scandinavian countries are considered the most postmodern and unreligious places in Europe, though they once were some of the most religious. To be sure, the rest of Western Europe faces this situation as well, but my research tells me that these are considered the most extreme cases of this. This interests me because here then I see a great, great need for bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God back into countries that used to have such fervor for the gospel. They need a second reformation, if you will. I don't know where the road will lead, but I often think I could see myself being used in that way there.

Then there are the cities. Oslo, founded in 1048. Stockholm in 1252. Helsinki in 1550. There are huge amounts of history in these cities. And they are beautiful cities from what I've observed in pictures. They aren't overly big compared to other European and American metropolis', they're small enough to be full of life, but not unceasingly busy. Dankku has been kind enough to share with me why he loves his city so much, and he is drawn in by its attractiveness and its atmosphere. It's a place where he can walk around and just by being in the atmosphere can feel better about everything. That kind of testimony just grips me.

But it's cold! This is the reaction of many. And I know it is. If you're most southern point is only at something like 55 degrees latitude, the climate is bound to be a little more inhospitable. But still, a temperate stream off the ocean keeps living conditions bearable, and from the records I've seen, it's not actually all that different from here, except that summers are cooler and less humid (an attractive trait!).

I realize I haven't addressed Iceland and Denmark here, though they are the two other countries that fall under the Nordic designation. I think they are neat places too, they just don't grab me like the other three. So what will become of interest in these countries, I am not sure. Maybe just a cool spot to vacation. Maybe a chance to live there for a while. Or maybe an opportunity for God to use me in ministry. Whatever happens, I do not see my interest in Scandinavia waning anytime soon, and I really hope I get the chance to go over there sooner rather than later.