#IAmAChristian

I'm sure you've heard by now about the deranged man who shot and killed people in a community college in Oregon. I've heard from several places that he demanded his victims name their faith before shooting them; according to one survivor, if they said they were Christian, he killed them, and if they said they weren't, he shot their legs. On Twitter, there was a responding hashtag and avatar picture that say #IAmAChristian. Lots of people have posted under this, but here is the one I want to focus on:

Yes, #IamaChristian. pic.twitter.com/H25uHSfQ9q

— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) October 2, 2015

No, I'm not focusing on this because I support Dr. Carson for president, but instead because he used the Christian fish in his sign. During times of persecution, a Christian looking for a fellow Christian might draw one half of the fish, and another Christian would complete the fish. It was a question and a challenge - "I am a Christian; are you?" - when it would have been easier to be like Peter and say, "No, I'm not a Christian." At a time when Christians are being targeted in the Middle East, and shooters break into college classrooms to target Christians, God still calls us to stand firm and answer, "Yes, I am a Christian" - to complete the fish.