I SPENT a week in France with my family last month. France has been much in the news here recently because of the migrant crisis at the Channel Tunnel.
I feel for the would-be migrants in their desperation and hope that the crisis will soon be tackled in an effective manner.
I have to confess that once we had left Calais they were not much on my mind – except that, as we drove along the empty roads of France, I mused on their great desire to come to our country.
It did occur to me that, though I love England dearly, France has much to commend it, with roughly the same population in three times the area, lots of sun and a wonderful variety of terrain as well as a great civilization.
One area where this country beats France hands down – though it’s not one that will matter much to would-be migrants – is the way in which we care for our churches.
 France has some wonderful historic churches which are architectural gems but when you go inside them – which I did when my daughters would let me – they are so unloved.
That’s partly, I think, because the state pays for their upkeep and this means that local communities have lost interest.
In this country, the Church of England is established by law but in financial terms it is the least established in Western Europe.
 In every other country the state either has responsibility for the maintenance of ancient churches or there is a church tax.
 Here, members of the Church of England have sole responsibility for the upkeep of all of its 16,000 parish churches, most of them listed.
That’s over 4,000 more than there are post offices, incidentally.
 Remarkably, despite this fact, they are wonderfully cared for by those who worship in them and are arguably in a better state of repair than they have ever been.
Until recently, they have received not a single penny of government money.
The chancellor gave some cash for the mending of roofs in the recent budget and that is very welcome since these churches are everybody’s heritage.
Their towers and spires have been described as being like a “vast question mark thrust heavenwards”.
This reminds us of the God in whom our forebears trusted and the faith that has given us all that is best in our society.
They invite us, perhaps, to reconnect with that faith.

RT REV DR JOHN INGE, BISHOP OF WORCESTER