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

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

I'm often asked that among all of Chuck Colson's work,

Breakpoint Commentaries, books, speeches, important statements like the Manhattan Declaration,

what I consider to be the most powerful thing that he ever wrote without hesitation.

I always point to the opening in the apologue of Dancing with Max,

that's a book authored by Emily Colson about her son, and Chuck's grandson, Max.

And Dancing with Max, Emily tells the story.

Being a single mom, raising a child in an age when autism was far less understood,

including, by her own father.

As a child, Max struggled to make sense of the world and his emotions,

and his mom struggled to find a school that could accommodate him.

Overwhelmed, Emily describes how she prayed,

Do you see this God? I know you're watching, I know you're in this, but we're at a dead end.

With the book goes on to describe just how God proved that he did indeed see Max and Emily,

and how he was with him every step of the way.

One of the most important breakthroughs, according to Emily, was what she calls picture talks.

Emily learned to communicate with Max through drawing pictures.

Something, Emily, is by the way quite good at.

As Emily would put it later, quote,

And all my years of longing to do something more significant with my gift of art,

I never dreamed it would be used to give my child his voice.

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