Tattooing

I just read through the Christian Research Journal’s latest edition .I was drawn to it because of the theological paper that was written about tattooing that was featured on the cover. My fellow Fat Old Moms and I continue to try to justify our tattoos (or our desire for them) and was hoping I might get the validation we needed from the article since it was based in scripture and Bible teachings. The author presented all of the pros and cons and footnoted the paper with not only scripture, but historical and cultural context. She did a wonderful job of presenting all sides. The conclusion I came to is this...we are right.

If you’re not a ‘tattoo’ kind of person, don’t hate me. I like my tattoos and the message they convey and the message they help me to convey when I am asked about them. I respect everyone’s right to be or not to be tattooed. For the record, I have two. One is on my ankle in the form of an ankle bracelet, and the other is on my shoulder. The one on my ankle signifies my dedication to my children and faith (part of it is calla lillies in honor of my daughter Lily, another part is in honor of my son Sawyer, who we call Soybean, and then there is a dove which represents the peaceful nature of my faith and church.)

The one on my shoulder has a longer story. My husband’s family has a self designed crest which represents their family and faith. The content of it is a Celtic cross (to honor his Scottish heritage), a thistle (the Scottish flower), a dove (to represent the Mennonite church), a heart (to signify love) and an anchor (for hope). His father (a Mennonite pastor) and mother both have this tattoo. John also got the tattoo many years ago with a family unity symbol in place of the anchor to make it specific to OUR family . We used this symbol during our marriage ceremony to represent the blending of our families, as well as our lives, since John and I both had daughters from previous relationships. He has urged me to follow along and get this tattoo also. I am not blind to the permanence of inked body art, so I resisted because of the lack of faith I had in the actual permanence of our relationship.

Last year, during the most troubled time of our marriage, when I didn’t have much hope of it lasting, I took the leap of faith. Me, with Fat Old Mom’s in tow, surrounded by prayer, entered a tattoo parlor and I had the family crest forever emblazoned on my shoulder. This is where John had wanted me to have it placed, but I had stood firm in my belief that I wanted it somewhere where I could see it. I gave in. I wanted John to know that I finally believed that we could make it. I wanted him to know that the covenant that I made was permanent. I wanted him to have an outward symbol that I was in it for the long haul. I wanted him to realize that I was ready to surrender to his will as the leader of our household.

I believe that the act of surrendering to the will of my husband’s desires was a powerful gesture that was not lost on him. It was within days that he moved back into our home and made the decision to mend our marriage. Giving in was difficult for me to do (it’s SO against my nature!!), but I felt God leading me to show John in this way that my actions matched my words.

Do I believe that God will condemn me for what I have done to this temple he has given me? NO. I believe He knows my heart was in the right place when I marked my body, and that when I am asked or when I volunteer the information about my tattoos, it is to glorify Him and to open the door to give testimony to the power and blessings He has brought to my life.