The Power of Faith is manifested in the lives of people, especially when they turn to God and trust in Him. I have not seen anyone who has turned to faith in God and who follows the precepts of Jesus Christ’s teachings be hurt by them. But I have seen many who have nothing to follow and have been destroyed by the undercurrents of social and political change in society. I have seen many lonely and miserable people who live without Faith, but have also seen many people who live alone but are filled with joy and peace as they connect with God – In the Orthodox Church we have a 1600 year tradition of monastic life (monastic means to live alone) which has produced amazing people that also help many others through their Faith and example of life-some have been declared as saints by the Church (like Elder Porphyrios)). I have seen many people be devastated by the events of their life as they have no Faith to lean upon and I have also seen countless people whose lives have been transformed from evil to good by turning to God and trusting in His love and mercy. Atheists can try to cast doubts on texts and historical events (pointing out that books were written by men), but the experience of people whose lives have been turned around from destruction to joy is so powerful that inconsistencies in texts and stories do not matter, for the awesomeness of God is greater than any text and any story. The sacred texts and stories are not important outside of the experience of the presence of God. They only make sense within the context of the love of God for humanity and His continuous presence in our lives.
