Time Is a Teacher

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that, consistent with popular perception, older adults are more religiously active than younger adults. Two-thirds of respondents 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those ages 30 to 49 and just 44% of those ages 18 to 29. Makes sense: With age comes wisdom — or, at least, it should. As Pope John Paul II put it: “The passage of time helps us to see our experiences in a clearer light and softens their painful side. … Experience teaches that daily difficulties, by God’s grace, often contribute to people’s growth and to the forging of their character.”