"Tattoo Or Not To?"

Yeah, I realize that is a strange title coming from an old guy who writes a blog about learning to follow Jesus. Actually, I need some help here. Here's why and what. This week I was at the health club to workout and in the men's locker room after my workout I overheard a conversation between two younger guys about tattoos. One was debating whether to get a tattoo and the other guy was trying to convince him that God has forbidden his people to have tattoos. Their debate went back and forth for nearly a half hour and as they walked out they were still heavily involved.

Now I am quite familiar with what God had to say on this subject at Leviticus 19:28 because one of the last conversations I had with my mother before I left for the Navy was, "Don't you come home with those ugly tattoos on your body". Then she read me that verse from Leviticus. Back then tattoos were very common among military guys, especially sailors, and my mom impressed on me that God would not be pleased with me if I followed that common practice. Honestly, tattoos were not even on my radar at that time and I never even considered putting something on my body that would be there in the distant future when they put me in a grave. But I saw a lot of my shipmates come back from liberty with various body art that they were proud to show off. Many of them had beautiful tattoos from several parts of the world they had visited.

Me? I just have never been the least motivated to subject myself to the pain and potential health risk that tattooing seems to impose. I truly don't think my mom reading that verse to me from Leviticus had any bearing on my refraining from getting tattoos during my military service because even at 19 years old I could read the Bible for myself and the context of that verse is very clearly not intended for the followers of Jesus. And to the best of my knowledge, Jesus nor his Apostles had anything at all to say specifically about tattoos. However, I am absolutely certain that some of the Christian tattoo "police" can and do make what they consider an ironclad, scriptural case against the practice with a lot of questionable interpretation. I could make that same case by using many Bible passages that condemn obviously sinful practices, however a blanket condemnation of tattooing is way beyond my level of faith and understanding.

So here is my question - why would a follower of Jesus make that decision to get a tattoo? I'm not condemning the practice or even being critical, I'm just curious about their motivation. I realize that some folks proudly wear "body art" to honor Jesus and proclaim their faith, but those are probably in a slim minority. Most of the tattoos I see today seem to have some special, personal significance or make some sort of social statement. One guy I saw a few years ago had a large tattoo of a naked woman on his left, outer bicep engaged in something that you can maybe imagine. He also had a young girl by the hand and was leading her out of the store. My immediate thought was, "Wow dude, what kind of message are you sending to that little girl and the rest of us who have to look at your offensive tattoo?!" Is that kind of message really necessary to tell the world? Is that really the spirit of "freedom of speech"?

Look, I don't have many answers to life's hard questions and maybe this discussion doesn't fall into that category, but I plan to have a discussion with those two young men if and when I see them again just to give them some perspective other than that of naïve men and women, young and not so young that I see in our world today. Much that is acceptable in human society will fail to pass the test we are told to use to measure the acceptability of every practice around us. Here are just a two to consider:

"Everything is permissible for me", but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me", but I will not be mastered by anything."
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1Corinthians 6:12, 19-20 NIV

Seems to me Paul is saying, "Look brothers, I realize that your world is telling you there are no rules about how you live your life. It's all good. But stop and think for yourself. Is that really true for you?" Following Jesus should give us a perspective that is single minded and focused on who we really are and what we're about in an environment that is hostile or indifferent to what we believe.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything that is in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has or does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of the Father lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17 NIV

So, To Tattoo Or Not To? You decide for yourself. But if you decide to, consider the long term and can you live with it.

Until next time, let me know your thoughts about this. I do want to understand.