Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging

truth, with the Colson Center on John Stone Street.

This week marks the death of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India and defender of children.

Though she died in 1951, she's a profound example, not only of being faithful to the gospel,

but of what being faithful to the gospel means.

Throughout history, in fact, Christians have taken the lead in defending children.

Today, in nearly every sector of our society, media education, medicine, public policy,

even sports, children are the subjects of our social experimentations.

As the very fundamental realities of sex, identity, marriage, and parenting are reimagined in

increasingly dangerous ways, we continue to say to ourselves as a culture, all those

kids will be fine.

Overwhelming evidence, however, suggests that they aren't fine.

And at the same time, too many churches and too many Christians often jaded by years

of seemingly unproductive Christian activism, either poorly done or poorly received or

perhaps both, have moved to the sidelines in the protection of children.

At times, this move has been a move away from the social implications of the gospel,

to focus instead on individual transformation and privatized faith.

Other times, it's just a simple compromise on very important moral issues, often out

of misplaced attempts to be inclusive or welcoming.

These indifferences to our culture's widespread exploitation of children places these churches

and these Christians firmly outside the priorities of church history.

Time and time again, across cultures, across time periods, one of the key marks of those

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