So I was sitting next to a Korean woman in class and began to talk to her. Her English was very messy and she struggled to tell me her story. She was born in South Korea and moved to Austria (a German speaking country) for thirteen years. She met her husband in Korea and had to spend a long period of time away from him. They finally got married and moved to the U.S. (Louisville, KY). Her husbands name would not transfer over into the English so he was allowed to pick his own name (what would you pick?). He chose the name Johann. "Why?" I asked. She told me he chose Johann after the famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It amazed me this guy chose a name that he would be known for the rest of the time he spent here in the United States. He chose the name of a man who he highly admired and was inspired to follow the example of (Johann being a music student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). Let's just say this guy was dedicated. Now names have a lot of meaning to them, at least in other countries. The Korean woman, Johann's wife, her name was Meeya, which means "beautiful one." She was quite proud. I began to think about my name. John meaning "the mercy/grace of God" and Joseph being "in increase" (which I found interesting my full name means "an increase in the mercy/grace of God.")But, even more than that I thought about the name or identification of "Christian." Faith and I both are professing Christians, but what does this name mean? We see in Acts 11:26, it says, "So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." Being identified as a Christian goes back all the way to the time of the disciples and apostles. "A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic (one God) religion centered on the life and teaching of Jesus as presented in the Old and New Testament. Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God." This is how Wikipedia defines a Christian. I feel as though there is something missing. The reason I feel this way is because, for example, the United States is considered a "Christian" nation, yet statistics show the relationship between calling oneself a Christian and living a lifestyle that reflects this identification are completely separate. How is it that a person can feel comfortable calling themselves a Christian and yet do not live a life that reflects this? Johann wanted so bad to follow the example of being a good musician he chose the name of his icon. We call ourselves Christians because we want to be like Christ. Can everyone who claims to be a Christian really accept everything that comes with it? I am not trying to be judgmental, but I would never want someone to have a false hope of thinking they are a Christian because they are an American or because they are a good person. This is far from what it really means to be a Christian. I am not preaching that you can be perfect and never do anything wrong. For this very reason is why we need Christ and to identify ourselves with him. So, what is a Christian? A true Christian is a person who believes Jesus is his/her Savior from their sins (past, present, and future), places their trust and hope in Him, and lives a life reflecting the change God makes in you through faith in the Gospel. There are so many things to say what a Christian is not and I am sure if I asked you to define a Christian you may have a totally different answer. Some of you may have even been hurt by a "Christian" and I beg you to not let that have an affect on what you think of Christ. So what's in the name Christian? There is a lot. To be a Christian is a glorious thing because you no longer have to live without purpose. One of my favorite verses will sum this up, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Thanks for taking the time to read this.