Grassroots Revival

  "Dear Mr. Colson," the letter began, "You don't have a clue!" It was from a twelve-year-old girl named Virginia. She was angry because we'd recently aired a BreakPoint commentary advising parents not to let their kids watch a raunchy television program called Dawson's Creek. It's just one of the thousands of letters I've received in the ten years BreakPoint has been on the air. Most are positive, some are critical, however, and a few of them just make me laugh. But all of them tell me that BreakPoint is meeting a need in our culture. When we first went on the air, BreakPoint was a big experiment; we weren't sure anyone would listen to a worldview program. But over these ten years we've seen evidence that the culture is crying out for biblical truth. During the first weeks of our broadcast, we found out how right we were. The phones began ringing off the hook, and the letters poured in. We heard from parents and professionals, scholars and schoolchildren. They told us they were using BreakPoint transcripts to prepare letters to the editor, to teach Sunday school classes, and to write essays for school. One commentary helped a teacher understand why even Christian kids embrace a "salad bar" approach to faith, picking and choosing what they want to believe without regard to the truth. Others have written to say they finally understand why animal rights activists and tree huggers, for example, think the way they do. And BreakPoint isn't just changing the way people think: It's goading them to action. For instance, commentaries on the debate between Intelligent Design and Darwinian evolution have led many students to challenge their own teachers -- teachers who teach philosophy and pass it off as science. And after a program about the online giant, Amazon.com, a number of listeners wrote to the company. They gave intelligent, articulate reasons why Amazon should stop carrying books on pedophilia. Not long afterward, the company did. I've heard from lawmakers, as well, telling me how they were influenced by BreakPoint listeners who urged them to consider the morality of their votes. Your calls, let me tell you, listeners, have encouraged congressmen to fight partial birth abortion, slavery in Sudan, and other crucial issues. BreakPoint listeners are also buying tens of thousands of books we recommend -- books about science, postmodernism, marriage, and how to help kids keep their faith in college. They ask for our movie reviews, and then teach their kids how to figure out a film's worldview. On this, the tenth anniversary of BreakPoint, I still enjoy hearing from listeners -- the people who put these worldview lessons into practice. What began as an experiment is now on its way to starting a grassroots revival. And it thrills me to know that Christians are using their own creativity, their own sense of calling, to impact the world for Christ. So, as we begin our second decade of ministry, I want to thank all of you who have helped keep BreakPoint on the air. I hope you will be part of this reformation. And, oh, yes -- if you have a spare moment, I hope you'll drop me a letter -- even when you disagree with me. Even if, like Virginia, you think I don't have a clue.

09/5/01