Have you had a bad experience with a church, a bishop, a minister, or another Christian? There have been some high-profile news stories about people who have been sexually abused by Church figures, and those who abused them. Some very senior Church and government figures around the world have done a mediocre job of dealing with this tragedy (although it must also be said that some denominations have worked very hard and long to listen to victims and to right wrongs wherever they can).

One of the major themes of The Da Vinci Code is that the Church is an institution where secrets can be hidden. And there is no denying this. The fact that the Church took so long to come to terms with the problems of paedophilia tells us that it is pretty good at covering its tracks.

Leigh Teabing tells Sophie Neveu, "the Church has two thousand years of experience pressuring those who threaten to unveil its lies" (DVC 533-4/407).

Although it is nearly impossible that the Church could have hidden a secret such as Jesus and Mary Magdalene being married, or the Bible being fabricated by the Roman Emperor Constantine, people can certainly feel justified in being suspicious of the Church and its secrets.

Many Christians feel a deep sense of sorrow about what some people have done while representing the Church. God must weep at the sinful, destructive behaviour of some of the people who claim to worship him.

But does this failure mean that everything about Christianity and the Church is rotten and can be ignored or rejected?

And does it mean that the Church is always going to act like a power-hungry institution which cares more about its own survival than the people who might get in its way?

That can't be true. The Church has brought far too much good to society to be simply dismissed because of its failures. Churches are responsible for many of the great welfare programs, schools, hospitals and employment services which support our citizens.

Furthermore, the Christian Church is based on the love of Jesus. Christians are supposed to show this love for each other in selfless ways, seeking to build each other up and encourage each other to live in ways that please God. When they don't, it is a terrible tragedy not only because of the trauma and despair it can cause, but also because it turns people off the Christian faith altogether.

People today get rightly worried about powerful institutions telling us how to live while not living up to their own standards. However, true Christianity is about caring for others, not abusing them. When the Christian Church remembers this, it is a great advertisement for Jesus-the one person who never forgot it.