Faith based tattoo question

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted so far in the poll.

If you have not yet voted in the poll, please vote now.

[farouk]

Hi @Neighbor

Back a bit:

My pastor has a large cross tattoo and several passages  tattooed upon his frame. I don't think it likely a good look for me, but it fits him well.

Before someone decides to use a tattoo as a witness tool, there does need to be a great deal of personal exercise and determination and resolve to use it for the purpose for which it's designed, right?

Not every Christian will wish to do this, by a long shot.

But those who do will likely have thought about it and planned it and made efforts in its design and choice of passage (if a Scripture quote).

Quite simply it may fit the personality of certain Christian men and women but definitely not others'.

My wife and I talked to a - quiet and shy - young lady with the wording of John 3.16 tattooed around her wrist area, but for her to have arrived at that situation where her Scripture quote was evidently initiating conversations with ppl she must first of all have gone through a lot of aforethought and planning and the actual reception process of ink in the Scripture text design pumped through her epidermis and settled into her dermis.

 

[Neighbor]

Hi,

Wonder how many times  a Christian tattoo message  condemns the wearer of it, in the eyes of the beholder of those individuals that have just been abused by the Christian in a moment of failure to live up to the tattoo's declaration?  

Be kind of like the moment while in very heavy in Christmas roadway  traffic  I was driving the heavily labeled church van and  a frustrated  driver flipped me off, -  I returned the salute, before remembering the testimony I was driving.

"Oops, sorry 'bout that one Lord".

[farouk]

1 minute ago, Neighbor said:

Hi,

Wonder how many times  a Christian tattoo message  condemns the wearer of it, in the eyes of the beholder of those individuals that have just been abused by the Christian in a moment of failure to live up to the tattoo's declaration?  

Be kind of like the moment while in very heavy in Christmas roadway  traffic  I was driving the heavily labeled church van and  a frustrated  driver flipped me off, -  I returned the salute, before remembering the testimony I was driving.

"Oops, sorry 'bout that one Lord".

@Neighbor

Excellent point there; thank-you indeed!

Yes, the Christian young man or woman (it's often those of the younger generation) is actually making a lifelong commitment to live up to the message of the ink that is being pumped in. As kwikphilly - a former tattoo artist herself - says, "it's permanent scarring deep past the epidermis and into the dermis( or should be!)", as she knows from her past experience of doing it repeatedly and painstakingly for the desired effect. Yet more than the skill of the physical side of doing it, with the Christian tattooee there is an even greater need for the lifelong commitment to be grasped, in order to live consistently by the message pumped in, even before the needles start ramming in the Scripture or faith-based design, right?

Sometimes the young person does not have such a long-term perspective on life.

Good point made there; thank-you!

[Neighbor]

While I have thought of having my own avatar that I use here as my icon tattooed in gold, I always  found I wanted it facing me somehow, as reminder to me alone, a  hey don't be responding in kind to the  unkind.  Go that extra mile so to speak , using it instead as  the moment of opportunity to share of the gospel of Jesus in word or in action as  the moment allows.

To that end I do wear a small chain with that medallion on it around my neck under my clothing. -A bit of a physical symbol of a light yoke I suppose.

Also it is a phyiscal reminder of  a very pleasant evening some year ago now when I first met George and Rivka at a Messianic Church service, for that is when I acquired it. Oh the in the precious blood of the lamb blood was that night as the Holy Spirit wrapped  the congregation in worship song  and message.

So many treats God has given me, it is indeed like a box of chocolates;  never knowing what the flavor of the moment will be until I bite into it- with faith  in the faith of Jesus.

God is awesome, and so very cool!

[farouk]

15 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

While I have thought of having my own avatar that I use here as my icon tattooed in gold, I always  found I wanted it facing me somehow, as reminder to me alone, a  hey don't be responding in kind to the  unkind.  Go that extra mile so to speak , using it as opportunity to share of the gospel of Jesus in word or in action as  the moment allows.

To that end I do wear a small chain with that medallion on it around my neck under my clothing. -A bit of a physical symbol of a light yoke I suppose.

Also it is a phyiscal reminder of  a very pleasant evening some year ago now when I first met George and Rivka at a Messianic Church service, for that is when I acquired it. Oh the in the precious blood of the lamb blood was that night as the Holy Spirit wrapped  the congregation in worship song  and message.

So many treats God has given me, it is indeed like a box of chocolates;  never knowing what the flavor of the moment will be until I bite into it- with faith  in the faith of Jesus.

God is awesome, and so very cool!

Hi @Neighbor You seem to have found a talking point tool that you can indeed use!

For the specifically inked variety, it's definitely a two-way process; while veteran inker kwikphilly says it's an act to 'pack the ink deep into the dermis', as she mentioned a while back, for the Christian tattooee there is - or should be - the simultaneous or rather prior process of packing the faith inked commitment deep into the future, so to speak, if you follow the term.

Like, kwikphilly knew exactly what she was doing when packing the ink deep into the dermis, but does the enthusiastic Christian would-be tattooee grasp the long-term future commitment? (In theory it should indeed be possible..........)

As well as meant to be a witness tool for the benefit of others, for some young Christians the faith based tattoo can also be a daily visible tool to keep oneself accountable, right?

Edited August 19, 2024 by farouk

[Neighbor]

2 minutes ago, farouk said:

As well as meant to be a witness tool for the benefit of others, for some young Christians the faith based tattoo can also be a daily visible tool to keep oneself accountable, right?

Perhaps.  and I suppose it may also keep vampires away? Just a moment of quirky humor there.

 I am going to go contrarian here- I think I would rather not be inked, as that is to me much symbolism of the  realm of the "other world" to the extreme. It is in society as I know it  testimony of that lifestyle, of gang membership, and it's hierarchy. For me to see tattoos is to be looking for gang signs, not my Lord and savior.

That and well I am getting way too old for tattooing, at my age  I am nothing but hair and wrinkles Ha!

[Neighbor]

4 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

That and well I am getting way too old for tattooing, at my age  I am nothing but hair and wrinkles Ha!

Maybe if one could tattoo my heart that would be cool.

[farouk]

5 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Maybe if one could tattoo my heart that would be cool.

Hi @Neighbor

A similar metaphor maybe in Isaiah 49.16:

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted so far in the poll.

NB: If you have not yet voted in the poll, please vote now.