Tatted People

 

My son Kyle was what I called a walking canvas. As you can

see his body had a great deal of skinart covering it. Each one of the pieces of art on his body had meaning, and each one brought joy to his life. You will also notice I speak of this in past tense. My son Kyle was brutally killed on July 27, 2027, at what is believed to be the time of 7:27 PM after being struck by an Amtrak train at a rural railroad crossing. There is a lot to his story, yet in this blog, my primary focus is on his tattoos and those with tattoos. My son had tattoos on his legs, all over his trunk, his arms, and had recently had his only daughter’s name tatted vertically on his neck. That tattoo was less than a month in age when he was tragically killed. I bring all of this to your attention because many times people with tattoos are labeled and judged harshly. Many times, because they choose this method to express themselves, they are looked down upon. Yet, another individual, for example, who expresses themselves with expensive animal furs of all kinds and lengths is accepted and looked at through a different lens.  I am not an animal activist and that is but one example, but I am a people person. I believe this is caused often by the way people historically look at those who have tattoos. Media has portrayed people with tattoos as primarily the bad guys of society. We see them in the prison systems and/or the court systems. Naturally when we see a tattoo on an individual our mindset often sweeps back to that scene the media has created where the tatted person is led away to serve some time for some horrific offense. Rarely do we get to see the good people that have this kind of self-expression in the media. In the mid-two thousands we had Kat Von D. She was tatted and seemingly a nice person. Yet the media still had a way to paint her as one that fit the world’s stereotypical mindset of tatted people. From cussing vocabularies that seem to reveal a limited intelligence to hostile work environments, the media continued to paint an image of people with tattoos that was less than flattering.  Tattoos are permanent and damaging to your body so why would anyone want to express themselves in such a way. This was and is the image that has been created by media and public opinion over the years for most tattoo wearing people. Yet, if we were to know their story perhaps, we could learn a much different perspective, starting with the story of Kat Von D.

I know pastors who have tattoos. These tatted pastors speak a great word from the Bible, and I know without a doubt they live a life according to God’s Word. I know for a fact that these pastors hear the Holy Spirit’s voice and no matter what has been tatted on their bodies, they express the fullness of Christ in their message. I love to see this in them, and I get excited to see good ink on messengers of the Word. Jesus Himself, said it’s not what goes into the body that defiles you, but what comes out of your heart that defiles you. That ink that went into your skin isn’t going to defile a person. The New Covenant relationship is one that is of the heart, and you can get that from the Hebrew writers in Hebrews.  The Old Covenant is our hang up. Still today we get caught up on that verse in Leviticus 19:28 about no tattoos. In their day they were doing such things as an act of worship to false gods. God is continually trying to dispel these false gods and the worship of them. He has already given them the commandment to have no other gods before Him.  People with tattoos – for the most part – are doing their skinart as an act of self-expression. Many use it to witness to others and some to pay tribute to others. I have one myself that reminds me that when I am persecuted, I have two choices. I can see it as danger, or as an opportunity to show people what I am in Christ. It is a Chinese congee, and I have the same thing over my desk. I know Jesus is in my heart and this tattoo doesn’t change who I am in Jesus.  Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:44 that we die in these natural bodies, but we rise again in Jesus with new perfect bodies. Spiritual bodies made new in His Image. The Imago Dei made perfect finally,  through the resurrection Jesus provided for us in His own death and resurrection. Remember how disfigured His body was when they took Him from the cross at His death. Isaiah told us He was beaten beyond recognition. Yet, when He rose from the grave Jesus had that perfect body that we will have. Jesus’ body was perfect again ready to meet the Father. That terrible disfigurement He went into the tomb with was gone except for the symbolic holes in His hands and feet to show He truly was the risen Savior.

Here's my point for my son and those with tattoos. With all of those tattoos my son had on his body, they could not find the slightest trace of one of those tattoos to help identify my son’s body. The accident was so brutal and horrific, not even a trace of a tattoo was seen. It was described to us by our coroner friend that our son’s earthly body had been pulverized and burned beyond recognition from the impact of a train going eighty-five miles per hour.  In the twinkling of an eye what most people viewed as permanent and damaging in all those tattoos our son had on his body was now gone forever. His tattoos – and anyone else with tattoos – really are just temporary. In the end they won’t go with you. Maybe we should lighten up.

So, the next time you see someone with tattoos and your mind defaults to what society has made tatted people out to be; remember it’s just temporary skinart. It all comes off in due time. The most important question is what kind of impression of Jesus they - those with tattoos - receive from us who look upon them.  Do you love me? Jesus asked. It’s love that never gives up and never fails. Shalom Shalom