Could this unexpected trend spark a nationwide spiritual revival?

New Year’s often inspires plans for enhancing our lives, and a recent trend could spark a nationwide revival.

America saw a Bible boom last year — the hope and good news of Scripture reaching millions of new eyes. Bible sales increased 22% in 2024 over 2023, led by shoppers purchasing copies as first-time readers. Bible sales rose to 14.2 million in 2023 from 9.7 million in 2019, according to data reported by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at the Wall Street Journal, and hit 13.7 million in the first 10 months of 2024.

An interesting point is that sales of all books — including secular ones — were up less than 1%. That means there’s an undeniable spike in demand for the Good Book.

What does all this mean? Christians like me are rejoicing at this opportunity for more people to know God's love. As a recovered agnostic, baptized as an adult seven years ago on December 3, my desire is to encourage new believers or curious seekers exploring faith.

For some new Bible readers, it may seem foreign and uncomfortable to embark on this journey, especially if they experienced or witnessed religious trauma and abuse. I certainly did, which is part of why returning to Bible reading was hard for me at first.

I grew up with seven biological siblings and a violent, mentally ill street-musician father, who believed he was a prophet and would someday become president of the United States and that Satan had “reassigned” lesser demons in order to personally torment our family. We lived a transient lifestyle, skirting authorities by constantly moving. Besides various houses, we lived in motor homes, tents, mobile homes, and sheds.

I learned the abundant scientific evidence for a divine creator that blew away any last vestiges of agnosticism.

One of my five brothers was born in a tent when our family lived in the public campground woods of Greenbelt Park, Maryland. Besides time spent in homeschooling, I attended 17 different public schools. When I took my ACT exam, we lived in a shed with no running water in the Ozarks.

The LDS Church eventually excommunicated my dad, so I’m careful to distinguish his behavior from the official, 17-million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a child, my dad was sexually assaulted by a female Mormon babysitter and witnessed the sudden death of a best friend. Sadly, his children inherited the effects of his trauma.

Three siblings attempted suicide, and I have two brothers with schizophrenia, including one brother who tried to rape me and another who accused me of trying to seduce him. I’ve been hospitalized nine times for depression, fibromyalgia, suicidal ideation, and PTSD.

For years, I assumed I’d never return to belief in God or organized religion. My heart remained closed for over a decade because of the evil things I’d seen done in God’s name. To fill the void, I threw myself into work, schooling, dating, friends, and travel as ultimate sources of meaning. I studied business policy with a full-tuition scholarship at Harvard and worked as an analyst for major Wall Street firms, earning unthinkable sums for a girl from a motor home. I launched a career in political journalism at outlets like Politico, The Hill, and the Washington Times.

But it didn’t provide the meaning and purpose that only God can.

After unexpected turns, I turned to studying the Bible and Christian theology. I also began studying science and metaphysics, embracing a ministry called Science + God created by former Harvard physics professor Michael Guillen, a nondenominational Christian and former atheist. Guillen earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, astronomy, and physics from Cornell before teaching physics at Harvard and serving as ABC News’ chief science correspondent.

I learned the abundant scientific evidence for a divine creator that blew away any last vestiges of agnosticism. I eventually embraced Christianity and haven’t looked back.

While there are many ancillary readings that complement the Bible, nothing compares with the life of Jesus himself and the Old Testament that points to Him.

The former French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who saw his political fortunes collapse, reportedly said while in exile after defeat at the Battle of Waterloo:

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.

In today’s modern world of cheap social media tricks to buy followers and “influencers” buying engagement, Jesus’ powerful influence has lasted more than 2,000 years, with billions of Christians worldwide today and many millions throughout the centuries.

As Christians recently celebrated the birth of our Savior at Christmastime, we also have reason to rejoice in our brothers and sisters learning more of Jesus’ life and teachings.

Congratulations to the millions of Americans buying their first Bible. You’re in for a powerful journey, one that won’t necessarily be easy. As Jordan Peterson would say, welcome to your first wrestling match with God.