We got tattoos this week. Yes. We. Did. I think that was rather
shocking to people who know us well. The first question is probably, “WHY?” So,
let me explain.
The whole idea started in August, when we went to a wedding
and the bride had a very beautiful, very large tattoo on her shoulder and upper
arm. She explained that the picture was a depiction of lilies and sparrows, an
illustration of the words of Jesus in Matt. 6:25-30, and that when anyone
comments about the tattoo, she has the opportunity to share about how much
Jesus loves us and takes care of us.
Les was especially impressed with this, and began to
encourage me to take that step. I thought he was crazy at first, but as we
talked about it and thought about it for these 3 months, I began to warm up to
the idea.
I really began to have a desire to have something that would
truly speak to my personal faith, something that would not be the obvious Christian
symbol, but something that would reflect a deeply held conviction of my own,
something that might cause someone to ask a question that would open a door to
share about Jesus. I prayed about it, and felt that God said, “Yes.”
A few weeks ago, our young friend Harlie, who is a new
believer, said that she wanted to have the words, “This is Amazing Grace” tattooed
on her forearm, because that song means so much to her. When she said that, I
made my decision. We agreed that we would go together and get our faith
statement tattoos.
We let it sit a while, and last Sunday, during worship, I
told Harlie, “Let’s do it this week.” We made plans to go on Thursday. We didn’t
know that Les was joining us until Monday, when he showed me his designs.
I had a hard time deciding what to write. I wanted to say, “I
love Jesus with all my heart and soul and He gives me joy unspeakable and
abundant life so I want to live out a radical faith.” Too long! Les came up
with the idea that I went with. He designed all of our tattoos.
So, that is the story. Now, to answer the questions that
have come up.
1.
Doesn’t the Bible say to not get tattoos?
It seems like it.
Lev 19:28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for
the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.
Every commentary I have read agrees
that this referred to the pagan practice of idol worshippers making deep gashes
in the face, arms, or legs, as a sign of their grief in honoring the dead, and
as an act of worship, spilling their own blood as a sacrifice to the false god.
Although some tattooing today may be for these reasons, we had nothing of this sort
as motivation.
This verse is part of the ceremonial
law, the part of the law that Israel was to follow which set them apart from
all people; don’t eat pork, don’t mix linen and cotton in your clothing, don’t
mix beef and dairy products in your meals, all of the rules concerning the
priests, the feasts, and the sacrifices. Most us eat bacon, wear fabric blends,
and enjoy cheeseburgers.
The verse just before the one in
question is this;
Lev 19:27 You shall not round off the hair on your
temples or mar the edges of your beard.
No one tries to apply this verse
today. We all understand this as an admonition to not cut the hair around the
temples of the head as other cultures did in an act of worship.
For these reasons, no, I do not think
that the Bible speaks against the modern use of tattoos in a literal sense.
2.
Don’t most people who get tattoos regret
doing so?
That may be true. The reason some people
regret a tattoo is because they are no longer happy with the content.
We are in our 60’s, and the messages
we chose speak of beliefs we have long held. I have wanted to live out a radical
faith in Jesus most of my life. And I experience a radical joy just about every
day because of that relationship. I don’t think I will change my mind about the
message.
Other reasons for regret just don’t
apply. We don’t expect to try to get into an elite organization or apply for a
job that would not allow them.
3.
What if it offends or upsets some people?
I never want to offend anyone. I never want to take any
action that would cause someone to stumble. I considered this very carefully.
Please understand my heart in saying this. I concluded that if I had the opportunity
to speak of the love of Jesus because of this tattoo (which has already
happened!!!), it would be worth possibly offending some people who already have
a relationship with Jesus. I make many decisions with this as my guide.
4.
You don’t just get a tattoo and not live out
faith, do you?
It is our hope that our lives would always affirm what the
tattoos speak. I live my life always mindful that I am representing Christ. I
am not perfect. I fail. I blow it sometimes. But, I try to always be kind, to
be patient when service is slow, to speak kindly to cashiers and ask how their
day is going, to be honest in all my dealings, to be considerate, to smile at
strangers, to be friendly. I often ask servers in restaurants if I can pray for
them. Wherever I am, I try to have conversations that will lead to a chance to
speak about Jesus. I hope that the
tattoo will give me more opportunities to speak of the faith that I live out.
I understand that someone reading this may totally disagree,
and that is ok. I am not trying to influence someone to get a tattoo, or even
convince anyone to think they are OK. I am just explaining why we felt the
freedom to get them.
Oh yeah…
5.
Did it hurt?
Yes, but not bad, and not for long.
Now, for anyone still interested, here are the pictures of
this momentous occasion.
Signing the waivers. (Neither of us had ever been in a
tattoo parlor before.)
A little nervous waiting.
Harlie was a little disturbed while watching.
Finished product.
Les said that I took it so well, he thought that it wasn’t
going to hurt at all, and was surprised that it did.
And here is Harlie.
