Is vitality of the Christian faith a sign of its truth?

VISITING a church recently I met a young woman still reeling from a divorce, being let down by her husband and now having to share her three children with him living far away.

- By Bishop Graham Tomlin DIRECTOR OF CENTRE FOR CULTURAL WITNESS

She had turned to alcohol to numb the pain, but it didn't work.

In desperation she whispered a prayer: "God, if you're real, help me. I can't do this anymore."

What happened next took her by surprise: "A peace I had never known before wrapped around me.

"I felt like I was being held, like someone had been waiting for me to surrender all along.

"I slowly let go of the addictions, the desperate need for validation, the belief that I had to fix every-thing on my own.

"God began healing my heart, showing me that His Love was enough, that I didn't have to keep chasing after things that could never fill me."

It's a story I keep hearing from clergy friends in parishes across the country. Now there is data to back it up.

A recent report commissioned by the Bible Society suggested the number of people going to church has risen by 50% over the last six years, a change led primarily by young adults, and especially young men.

In 2018, 4% of 18-24 year olds went to church at least once a month. That figure is now 16% in general and 21% for young men.

Statistics don't prove anything.