Has your attitude toward the Bible changed in recent years? Think about the events of the last decade, both in your personal life and in the culture around you. Have there been corresponding changes in the amount of time and energy you put into reading God’s Word?

There have been many surveys and studies in recent years with dispiriting news about church attendance, Bible reading, and religious engagement in America and elsewhere. These are certainly sobering trends. But when (as part of our 20th anniversary interview series) we asked pastor Jim Cymbala of The Brooklyn Tabernacle about attitudes toward the Bible in his New York City community, he had something surprising to say:

Does this surprise you? Thinking about your own life, your family, and your community, how would you answer this question? Do you see God’s Word finding open ears in the midst of economic uncertainty and spiritual chaos?

Jim Cymbala is the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle and the author of Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit.