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Focus – The Sign of the Fish

October 1, 1997
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Lt. Colonel Mervyn Morelock

Lt. Col. Mervyn Morelock –

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NIV)

Wearing or displaying the sign of the fish has become a very popular way for many Christians to witness to their faith. This little symbol, formed by joining two simple curved lines, lets motorists of following cars know that the driver is a Christian. Some of the symbols show the outlines of the fish. Others contain Greek or Latin letters, while others contain the name, “JESUS.”

One of my earlier memories about the sign of the fish took place while touring the catacombs just outside of Rome. Our guide pointed out a tombstone which, in addition to the name of the deceased, had carved in it the sign of the fish and in Latin, “Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.” It was dangerous to be known as a Christian in those pagan times, but the deceased wanted all to know that while his earthly body lay in that tomb, his spirit was in heaven with the risen Lord!

Our RV and tow car display The Salvation Army’s version of the sign of the fish. It’s a little blue and red fish decal with the yellow star in the center. We’ve had several passing motorists wave at us because of our silent witness. Recently, in an RV park, our next door neighbor came over and shared that they were Christians, just because they had seen our witness, the fish symbol, on our vehicle.

Recently, I was a little annoyed when I spotted the new parody of the fish symbol on a car in front of me. I was stopped at a traffic light and noticed the fish symbol, but it looked a little different from all the others I’d seen. This one had the fish growing legs, and in the center, where I am used to seeing the name, “JESUS,” was inscribed, “Darwin”! At first I was a little upset with this corruption of our Christian witness symbol, but it was another reminder that there are many people–some estimates are as high as 51percent–who do not go to church at all. Many are serious followers of cults who believe in the Darwin teachings on evolution.

One of the recent articles about the Mars landing reported that among the many items of information being beamed back to earth from the Sojourner rover is that Mars rocks are so similar to the composition of earth rocks that perhaps Darwin’s theories on the evolutionary creation of the universe may have to be re-examined. Perhaps God created the universe with a “big bang” after all! Darwin’s theories have also taken a blow with the recent discoveries that humans seem to have appeared suddenly more than 400,000 years ago, not as part of an evolutionary process. The “missing link” that many of us were taught about in school is still missing!

The moon and Mars landings have not discovered any signs of life, humans or creatures. What has been discovered so far supports the theory that the universe may have had an instant creation, a “big bang,” rather than the slow evolutionary creation that Darwin taught. While the evolutionists still have a major influence in education, these theories are being questioned, one by one, as new scientific evidence is being gathered.

Our Salvation Army doctrine states: “We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” One old Salvationist said, “God said, it, I believe it, and that’s good enough for me!”

I couldn’t help but be amused at the latest fish sign I’ve seen on the back of a car. It showed a little Darwin fish, the one with the legs, being gobbled up by a gigantic fish! And the big fish carried the name, “JESUS!”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…and God saw that it was good.

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