The way I see it, there are basically 3 main positions that people take on abortion:
#1: "Just Tissue"
People who take this position do not believe that a developing human fetus is equivalent to a human life. They are convinced that the fetus is merely "tissue" that has the potential to develop into a human being, but that there is no reason to grant it the same status and value as an adult. I believe this position to be tenable or logical, albeit based on a faulty premise. If the fetus is not a human being, then there would be no reason to think that aborting an unwanted pregnancy would be morally wrong.
#2: "Human Life"
This person believes, as I do, that the life of a human being begins at conception, and that a person is still a person even if they are not viable. (Just for the record, the 9-month gestation period still doesn't make a newborn baby viable; they need constant care, feeding, etc. or they will die. Just wanted to put that out there...). This person raises the question of who gets to decide the imaginary line where a "fetus" becomes a "human". It seems to me that there are two possible choices: birth or conception. Most reasonable people, even those who support early-term abortions, understand that the only difference between a 1-day old baby and a 40-week fetus is location. Thus, the only conclusion this group is left with is conception; a human life begins at fertilization. Therefore, abortion is a moral wrong, equivalent to killing an adult human.
#3: "My Own Personal Belief"
This is the position that befuddles me. Perhaps to best way to summarize this position would be by quoting the oft-heard statement: "I'm personally opposed to abortion, I just don't think we should be imposing our personal beliefs on someone else." This person wouldn't choose to have an abortion if they became pregnant unexpectedly, but they don't want to support laws that would prohibit other women from doing so if they choose. This position is also held by a lot of men who don't want to be seen as overstepping their bounds and imposing their opinions on women.
But let's take the above statement and put a different spin on it:
"I don't think that CEO's should cook the books and steal money from their shareholders; I'm just not going to impose my personal beliefs on them."
"I'm personally opposed to rape, but it's just wrong for me to impose my beliefs on what certain men want to do with their own bodies."
"I'm morally opposed to shoplifting, but this is a free country where people can choose to do as they please."
As you read those statements, you probably had a response along the lines of "But there's a victim involved. Someone's life, or freedoms, or rights are being infringed upon!" But for some reason, when it comes to the subject of abortion, a certain subset of people don't seem to follow the same logic. They do believe that a fetus is a human, but they don't think that the government should step in and protect them from being aborted (see: killed). In my opinion, the people who make these kinds of statements have been completely and utterly distracted from the real issue at hand to something that is only tangentially related.
The Role of Laws (Bad Choices vs. Illegal Choices)
We enjoy certain personal liberties in our nation. I am free to screw up my life in a myriad of ways: massive debt, artery-clogging diet, overuse of alcohol, or cheating on my spouse. There is, however, a difference between a bad decision and an illegal decision. Our society has spent the last 233 years wrestling over which decisions are so detrimental to society that they should be considered illegal instead of merely bad. I might be personally convinced that there is nothing wrong with driving 60 mph on Lake Otis Blvd., but society (through elected officials) has decided that the maximum appropriate speed is 45 mph. In fact, society has deemed that if I decide to go faster than 45 mph, it is not merely a bad decision, it is in fact an illegal decision. That law was put into place to protect the other people (and myself) who are using the road systems.
Our American culture automatically defaults to a "live-and-let-live" position on many things. In fact, it is built directly into the fabric of our society by the founding fathers, who were opposing the absolute power of the British kings. But the problem is that, in America, we've become confused on what the role of law is in our modern society; we've attempted to separate "laws" and "morals." EVERY SINGLE LAW ON THE BOOKS IS A MORAL DECISION! For the government to tell me that I can't burn trash on my property is a moral decision. For the government to tell me that I must pay taxes to support the rest of our society is a moral decision. When we attempt to separate "laws" and "morals," as we do in the abortion issue, we end up with the muddled, asinine, and vapid statements like the #3 position outlined above.
In the end, the debate really does come down to whether or not a developing fetus is truly a human being. That is what the discussion needs to truly be about, because, as I said earlier, position #1 and position #2 are at least logical, but based on different premises. The problem is that the majority of the discussion takes place in the #3 realm, which leaves everybody confused, frustrated, and no closer to any sort of resolution. I believe (and recent polling data confirms) that a growing majority of people actually believe that the aborting of a human fetus is morally wrong, but they've been convinced that to say so is somehow infringing on the "rights" or "freedoms" of someone else.
Don't Be Afraid To Be Heard
The abortion debate isn't "cool" anymore, if it ever was. It's much easier to find common ground on other issues of social justice. Everyone agrees that the practice of using child soldiers in African wars should be ended. Everyone agrees that it's a good thing to help provide clean drinking water to communities around the world. Everyone agrees that the exploitation of young girls worldwide for the purpose of sex-slavery should be eradicated (except for the people who are currently making it the 2nd largest illegal market in the world, behind drugs.) But somewhere along the line, people who believe that abortion is an issue of social justice have gotten nervous or ashamed to talk about it publicly. I guess we've been afraid of being lumped in with the clinic-bombers, or the paint-throwers, or the insult-shouters.
If you are convinced that the life of an unborn baby should be protected, go ahead and say it. You might find that you're in more company than you have previously thought.
Don't be a jerk.
Don't shout at people.
Don't call names.
Don't be weird.
Don't be inflammatory.
Don't let the clinic-bombers or the whack-jobs define you and your beliefs.
Do be loving.
Do be compassionate.
Do be firm in your convictions.
Do be articulate and informed.
Do be involved.
In the end, I believe that every single human being has immeasurable worth, dignity and value because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. From the richest king to the poorest drunk, every human life is worth something. I actually believe this. My hope is that you would find the ability to believe it, too - first about yourself, but extending out to the entire human race, including the "least of these," the unborn.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tattooed For Jesus
In American culture, a person with a tattoo used to automatically mean a criminal, a degenerate, maybe even a pirate or worse. Nowadays, it seems like every other person you see has taken the plunge into skin art. And I don’t just mean drug dealers on the street or wild partiers in the bars – I’m talking about moms with their daughters at ballet class, the waiter at an expensive restaurant, and (gulp!) sometimes even our worship leaders at church! “Christians with tattoos” used to be the ultimate oxymoron. If you were in church and had a tattoo, you were assumed to be a repentant convict, who has “seen the light” of Jesus, but haven’t yet “seen the laser” to get it removed.
Now, it’s 2009 and tattoos have become a permanent (literally) fixture in American culture – nobody even bats an eyelash anymore. It’s only a matter of time before the Disney channel trots out one of those clean-cut Jonas brothers sporting a “Mom” tattoo, complete with the red heart and anchor. Most of the people in my generation don’t have any moral or religious problem with tattoos. There is, however, a possibility that we have not explained ourselves very well to our parents or grandparents, for whom a tattoo is not merely a personal appearance issue, like what color shirt to wear, but is actually a deeply held religious conviction. I believe that there is a Biblically sound allowance for tattoos, but that many Christians don’t actually have any clue how to explain it, other than being against “legalism” and “pharisees.”
Background
I am a musician. My parents are musicians. In fact, my father, who is now a pastor and church elder, used to play rock music in bars before he was even legal drinking age; my mother, who was old enough at the time, stood in as his legal guardian…laughable, I know! When they became followers of Jesus, one of the things that they prayed was that God would redeem all the time they wasted playing music as a way to drag people down. Now, 27 years later, I am a worship leader/pastor. I’ve released 8 independent CD’s as well as produced/engineered dozens more. And…I play music in bars. My Father the Pastor took me in my first bar when I was still underage so I could play with my band in the local “Battle of the Bands.” Playing music about Jesus for people who don’t know Him is an integral part of my life as a Christian; it’s part of the mission that I live every day.
All that to say…I like tattoos. I grew up in the church, but not in the “Christian bubble” that many live in. My first memory of someone with a tattoo was the boyfriend of a pregnant heroin addict living with my family when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The people that I have been around for my entire life have had every imaginable body part tattooed, or pierced, or even branded (if you’re not familiar with branding, it IS what you’re thinking!). Tattoos never seemed like that big of a deal when our family was involved in ministry to teens dealing with pregnancy, drug use, suicide, delinquent/criminal parents, and the like. I have known many, many tattooed people who became Christians, but continued to get tattoos after their conversion experience (like my father-in-law, the hippie biker). Most of these people used overtly Christian images to cover up previous tattoos that reminded them of their “past life.” Most reasonable-minded Christians, even those who would not choose to get a tattoo themselves, would not condemn someone getting a tattoo in this situation.
What About The “Do Not Tattoo” Verse?
The Bible does explicitly mention tattoos in one famous passage from Leviticus: “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” (Lev. 19:28, ESV). The easy cop-out for Christians with tattoos is the “for the dead” clause: “I’m not getting a tattoo for a dead person, so it’s OK.” People on both sides of the issue go to great lengths to grammatically explain how the words “for the dead” either do or don’t apply to the entire clause. While that may be enough for some people, I believe there is a deeper level we can go to.
The entire chapter of Leviticus 19 is dealing with the Israelites and their behavior and attitudes. In actuality, much of what is addressed in Leviticus 19 (actually, much of the entire book!) is in response to the religious practices of the Canaanites, the people who lived in the land before them. The key is found in the previous chapter, verse 30: “So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”
God wants people who are different than the culture around them.
What’s particularly ironic to me is how the tattoo verse is held up as black-and-white, no questions asked, when previous verses forbid such things as wearing clothes of two different types of material (polyester is an abomination in God’s sight!), the trimming of a man’s beard or sideburns, and even eating meat with the blood still in it. If any of my Christian friends have had a rare steak recently, how do you justify it in light of this verse? I am NOT qualified to go through each verse and exegetically explain which ones are still applicable today, but I do believe that the heart of God behind the particular rules is the same today as it was then.
One of the most striking passages in the entire Torah is found a few verses later: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Lev. 19:34, ESV). God’s heart was then, and still is now, that people would NOT get caught up in the selfish practices of their culture, but would be looking for ways to bless, to take care of, to provide for those people that God puts in our path. We are to love, value, and take care of people the same way that we do for ourselves.
Don’t We Believe The Old Testament, Or Do We Just Throw It Away?
This is often what the tattoo debate comes down to. The only verse explicitly denouncing tattoos is in the Old Testament. Incidentally, the only place in the Bible where a parent is forbidden to prostitute their child is in the Old Testament, too, and we still believe that applies. I do not know a single Christian who follows the entirety of the Mosaic law. It would be impractical, semi-impossible, and in certain cases, downright illegal: “For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.” (Lev. 20:9, ESV). I know there were a few times growing up where that verse could have applied to me!
So how do we know what practices are still applicable and which aren’t?
Fundamentally, I believe the scriptures when they say that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that He does not change like shifting shadows. I don’t believe that Christ came to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it; everything in what we call the Old Testament or Tanakh is a foreshadowing of the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are no “throwaway” verses in the Bible, including the Old Testament. However, there are a few places in the New Testament where it appears that the Torah is being not only violated, but downright contradicted!
In the story of the first church, the Apostle Peter is being criticized for spending time with the Gentiles, those who lived outside of the strict regulations of the Jewish law. Peter shares with his critics a vision. In his vision he sees a sheet being lowered from heaven, and in the sheet are all sorts of unclean animals that the Torah forbade the Jews from eating (pigs in a blanket, anyone?). A voice from heaven directly ordered Peter to kill and eat the animals (sorry vegans – we’ll talk later), much to Peter’s disgust. After Peter protested for a while, the voice from heaven reprimanded Peter and said “What God has called clean, do not call common (or unclean).” Why would God command against His own statutes?
In the famous story with the woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees pressed Jesus by saying “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" Jesus responded with an astounding move of theological judo and said “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." By making this statement, Jesus put into action the principle that says “The letter of the Torah kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The Torah in itself can never make a person righteous; it’s entire purpose was to point to the fact of how seriously we need a savior!
All that to say, the Old Testament is still extremely important; it is actually one of my fears that many Christians don’t take it seriously enough. We have to remember that we are participants in the millennia-long story of God’s people; the world is different today than it was in ancient Israel and there may be a need to contextualize the principles that we read in the scripture. God’s heart and intention have always been to bless “all the people of the world” through Abraham’s offspring, which explains His regulations to keep them distinct and unique in the world.
Aren’t Our Bodies The Temple of The Holy Spirit?
In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses the Jewish Christians who, despite no longer being under the law of Moses, were insisting that the new converts should be circumcised, according to the Jewish custom (what a ludicrous way to try to start a new church!) These new converts were from all over the known world and had no frame of reference whatsoever for this act of circumcision. Just imagine going to a new church in a new city, and signing up for the membership class. Near the end of the class, one of the pastors stands up and says, “Now, if all you gentlemen will follow me into this other room, we will begin the circumcisions…”
I can empathize with the Jewish Christians a little bit, however. Here you are trying to be a good Jew, like your father and your father’s father, when all-of-a-sudden here come all these “pagans” who are now participating in the blessing of the Messiah without participating in any of the regulations that marked the Jewish people. Paul, however, does not share my empathy. In fact, he gets so mad at these “legalists” that he, in essence, says “Why stop with just the foreskin? I wish they would cut of their entire manhood!” (no further explanation required).
In the middle of this dispute, Paul makes a very profound statement: “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.” (Gal. 5:3). Paul teaches that if you want to follow Jesus, you need to trust in His crucifixion to be your “righteousness,” not any set of rules. Those who select one particular pet rule to live by only end up choking the expansion of the good news of Christ, that the entirety of the law can be summed up in the expression “to love your neighbor as yourself.”
God has always cared more about the heart than the external appearance.
Our bodies are an amazing testimony to the handiwork of God; we should do our best to be good stewards of our bodies with healthy eating, proper rest and exercise. Our goal should be to honor and glorify God with our bodies – including our appearance! The problem is that the ideal of respectful appearance is a moving target that changes from culture to culture, century to century. I want to be full of God’s grace so that I can be blessed for my Christian brothers and sisters who feel that it is important to dress in nice clothes for church, even despite the fact that I feel it is perfectly honoring to God to come before Him “just as I am.” I know many wonderful Christians who have grace for each other, not just a candy-shell tolerance, but deep appreciation for one another, even despite differences of opinion or conviction!
Shouldn’t We Be Different Than “The World”
Wouldn’t it be nice if the moment that we came to a decision that Jesus is Lord, we were whisked away to a beautiful golden hotel in the sky, to eat delicious food, to be entertained by jugglers, and to swim in pools that were actually heated to the right temperature? Unfortunately, the Apostle John records the prayer of Jesus when He prays for His followers, present and future, that God would not “take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) While we remain on this earth, we have a mission: show the world Jesus. End of story.
We are instructed by Jesus and by the New Testament writers time and time again not to conform to the “business as usual” attitudes and actions that we see in the world around us. We are to stand out, the way that a bright light stands out in a dark room, the way that Jesus stood out. For us to limit that distinction to one particular style of dress or physical appearance is sheer idiocy. I often hear the argument “you shouldn’t have a tattoo/piercing/certain haircut because then you will look like the world.” WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! Are there sinners who wear holey jeans and have nose rings? Absolutely. Are there mafia bosses and crooked politicians who wear very nice suits? You better believe it. Are there greedy and corrupt businessmen who cook the books while wearing a nice pair of khakis and a polo? Yup. God help us if we look/dress/appear like those people, I say (insert sarcasm here).
If we start with the proposition that God looks upon the heart of a man, not the external appearance, then shouldn’t we expect that difference to be a difference of the heart? Not only will it be a difference in the heart, but it will be a difference in the words and the actions of Christ’s followers. Christ’s followers will use their words to build people up. Christ’s followers will use their actions to bring food and water and clothing to the hungry and the thirsty and the naked. Christ’s followers will be the most honest in their business dealings, the most creative in their artistic endeavors, the most reliable in their promises, the most caring in their relationships. Our difference from the world should be in something that God cares about!
Should I Just Go Ahead And Get A Tattoo, Then?
Getting a tattoo is a very serious decision. Even with all the newest technology, a tattoo is still a permanent installation. Many people, in my opinion, don’t think seriously enough beforehand about issues like career, family, meaning, respect, and, most importantly, what their mom will think! In my life, I have felt the liberty to get a tattoo, but have done so with the purpose of drawing attention to Christ, not myself. A good tattoo, much like a good movie or song, is a great conversation starter. On my wrists, I have tattooed the words “χριστὸς κύριος.” Inevitably, someone will want to ask what these words mean – many people assume that it’s written in Klingon. When I explain that it’s the Biblical Greek words for Christ is Lord, they will almost always have a follow up question or two. Do I think that I have to have tattoos to relate with or minister to someone else who has them? Absolutely not. There is someone much smarter than me, however, who claimed to do whatever he needed to do to make the Gospel relatable to someone:
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
It is my sincere conviction that if a person decides to get a tattoo with the motive of giving glory to God, God can and does bless that. I would encourage Christians who get tattoos to get them in such a way that they can be a testimony to God’s redemption, grace, power, and healing in their lives. It is just like our God to take something that Satan would have intended for evil and turn it around into something good. Besides, if you get a tattoo for Jesus, you are not being “tattooed for the dead,” because our great God and Savior is very much alive!
Now, it’s 2009 and tattoos have become a permanent (literally) fixture in American culture – nobody even bats an eyelash anymore. It’s only a matter of time before the Disney channel trots out one of those clean-cut Jonas brothers sporting a “Mom” tattoo, complete with the red heart and anchor. Most of the people in my generation don’t have any moral or religious problem with tattoos. There is, however, a possibility that we have not explained ourselves very well to our parents or grandparents, for whom a tattoo is not merely a personal appearance issue, like what color shirt to wear, but is actually a deeply held religious conviction. I believe that there is a Biblically sound allowance for tattoos, but that many Christians don’t actually have any clue how to explain it, other than being against “legalism” and “pharisees.”
Background
I am a musician. My parents are musicians. In fact, my father, who is now a pastor and church elder, used to play rock music in bars before he was even legal drinking age; my mother, who was old enough at the time, stood in as his legal guardian…laughable, I know! When they became followers of Jesus, one of the things that they prayed was that God would redeem all the time they wasted playing music as a way to drag people down. Now, 27 years later, I am a worship leader/pastor. I’ve released 8 independent CD’s as well as produced/engineered dozens more. And…I play music in bars. My Father the Pastor took me in my first bar when I was still underage so I could play with my band in the local “Battle of the Bands.” Playing music about Jesus for people who don’t know Him is an integral part of my life as a Christian; it’s part of the mission that I live every day.
All that to say…I like tattoos. I grew up in the church, but not in the “Christian bubble” that many live in. My first memory of someone with a tattoo was the boyfriend of a pregnant heroin addict living with my family when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The people that I have been around for my entire life have had every imaginable body part tattooed, or pierced, or even branded (if you’re not familiar with branding, it IS what you’re thinking!). Tattoos never seemed like that big of a deal when our family was involved in ministry to teens dealing with pregnancy, drug use, suicide, delinquent/criminal parents, and the like. I have known many, many tattooed people who became Christians, but continued to get tattoos after their conversion experience (like my father-in-law, the hippie biker). Most of these people used overtly Christian images to cover up previous tattoos that reminded them of their “past life.” Most reasonable-minded Christians, even those who would not choose to get a tattoo themselves, would not condemn someone getting a tattoo in this situation.
What About The “Do Not Tattoo” Verse?
The Bible does explicitly mention tattoos in one famous passage from Leviticus: “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” (Lev. 19:28, ESV). The easy cop-out for Christians with tattoos is the “for the dead” clause: “I’m not getting a tattoo for a dead person, so it’s OK.” People on both sides of the issue go to great lengths to grammatically explain how the words “for the dead” either do or don’t apply to the entire clause. While that may be enough for some people, I believe there is a deeper level we can go to.
The entire chapter of Leviticus 19 is dealing with the Israelites and their behavior and attitudes. In actuality, much of what is addressed in Leviticus 19 (actually, much of the entire book!) is in response to the religious practices of the Canaanites, the people who lived in the land before them. The key is found in the previous chapter, verse 30: “So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”
God wants people who are different than the culture around them.
What’s particularly ironic to me is how the tattoo verse is held up as black-and-white, no questions asked, when previous verses forbid such things as wearing clothes of two different types of material (polyester is an abomination in God’s sight!), the trimming of a man’s beard or sideburns, and even eating meat with the blood still in it. If any of my Christian friends have had a rare steak recently, how do you justify it in light of this verse? I am NOT qualified to go through each verse and exegetically explain which ones are still applicable today, but I do believe that the heart of God behind the particular rules is the same today as it was then.
One of the most striking passages in the entire Torah is found a few verses later: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Lev. 19:34, ESV). God’s heart was then, and still is now, that people would NOT get caught up in the selfish practices of their culture, but would be looking for ways to bless, to take care of, to provide for those people that God puts in our path. We are to love, value, and take care of people the same way that we do for ourselves.
Don’t We Believe The Old Testament, Or Do We Just Throw It Away?
This is often what the tattoo debate comes down to. The only verse explicitly denouncing tattoos is in the Old Testament. Incidentally, the only place in the Bible where a parent is forbidden to prostitute their child is in the Old Testament, too, and we still believe that applies. I do not know a single Christian who follows the entirety of the Mosaic law. It would be impractical, semi-impossible, and in certain cases, downright illegal: “For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.” (Lev. 20:9, ESV). I know there were a few times growing up where that verse could have applied to me!
So how do we know what practices are still applicable and which aren’t?
Fundamentally, I believe the scriptures when they say that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that He does not change like shifting shadows. I don’t believe that Christ came to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it; everything in what we call the Old Testament or Tanakh is a foreshadowing of the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are no “throwaway” verses in the Bible, including the Old Testament. However, there are a few places in the New Testament where it appears that the Torah is being not only violated, but downright contradicted!
In the story of the first church, the Apostle Peter is being criticized for spending time with the Gentiles, those who lived outside of the strict regulations of the Jewish law. Peter shares with his critics a vision. In his vision he sees a sheet being lowered from heaven, and in the sheet are all sorts of unclean animals that the Torah forbade the Jews from eating (pigs in a blanket, anyone?). A voice from heaven directly ordered Peter to kill and eat the animals (sorry vegans – we’ll talk later), much to Peter’s disgust. After Peter protested for a while, the voice from heaven reprimanded Peter and said “What God has called clean, do not call common (or unclean).” Why would God command against His own statutes?
In the famous story with the woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees pressed Jesus by saying “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" Jesus responded with an astounding move of theological judo and said “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." By making this statement, Jesus put into action the principle that says “The letter of the Torah kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The Torah in itself can never make a person righteous; it’s entire purpose was to point to the fact of how seriously we need a savior!
All that to say, the Old Testament is still extremely important; it is actually one of my fears that many Christians don’t take it seriously enough. We have to remember that we are participants in the millennia-long story of God’s people; the world is different today than it was in ancient Israel and there may be a need to contextualize the principles that we read in the scripture. God’s heart and intention have always been to bless “all the people of the world” through Abraham’s offspring, which explains His regulations to keep them distinct and unique in the world.
Aren’t Our Bodies The Temple of The Holy Spirit?
In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses the Jewish Christians who, despite no longer being under the law of Moses, were insisting that the new converts should be circumcised, according to the Jewish custom (what a ludicrous way to try to start a new church!) These new converts were from all over the known world and had no frame of reference whatsoever for this act of circumcision. Just imagine going to a new church in a new city, and signing up for the membership class. Near the end of the class, one of the pastors stands up and says, “Now, if all you gentlemen will follow me into this other room, we will begin the circumcisions…”
I can empathize with the Jewish Christians a little bit, however. Here you are trying to be a good Jew, like your father and your father’s father, when all-of-a-sudden here come all these “pagans” who are now participating in the blessing of the Messiah without participating in any of the regulations that marked the Jewish people. Paul, however, does not share my empathy. In fact, he gets so mad at these “legalists” that he, in essence, says “Why stop with just the foreskin? I wish they would cut of their entire manhood!” (no further explanation required).
In the middle of this dispute, Paul makes a very profound statement: “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.” (Gal. 5:3). Paul teaches that if you want to follow Jesus, you need to trust in His crucifixion to be your “righteousness,” not any set of rules. Those who select one particular pet rule to live by only end up choking the expansion of the good news of Christ, that the entirety of the law can be summed up in the expression “to love your neighbor as yourself.”
God has always cared more about the heart than the external appearance.
Our bodies are an amazing testimony to the handiwork of God; we should do our best to be good stewards of our bodies with healthy eating, proper rest and exercise. Our goal should be to honor and glorify God with our bodies – including our appearance! The problem is that the ideal of respectful appearance is a moving target that changes from culture to culture, century to century. I want to be full of God’s grace so that I can be blessed for my Christian brothers and sisters who feel that it is important to dress in nice clothes for church, even despite the fact that I feel it is perfectly honoring to God to come before Him “just as I am.” I know many wonderful Christians who have grace for each other, not just a candy-shell tolerance, but deep appreciation for one another, even despite differences of opinion or conviction!
Shouldn’t We Be Different Than “The World”
Wouldn’t it be nice if the moment that we came to a decision that Jesus is Lord, we were whisked away to a beautiful golden hotel in the sky, to eat delicious food, to be entertained by jugglers, and to swim in pools that were actually heated to the right temperature? Unfortunately, the Apostle John records the prayer of Jesus when He prays for His followers, present and future, that God would not “take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) While we remain on this earth, we have a mission: show the world Jesus. End of story.
We are instructed by Jesus and by the New Testament writers time and time again not to conform to the “business as usual” attitudes and actions that we see in the world around us. We are to stand out, the way that a bright light stands out in a dark room, the way that Jesus stood out. For us to limit that distinction to one particular style of dress or physical appearance is sheer idiocy. I often hear the argument “you shouldn’t have a tattoo/piercing/certain haircut because then you will look like the world.” WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! Are there sinners who wear holey jeans and have nose rings? Absolutely. Are there mafia bosses and crooked politicians who wear very nice suits? You better believe it. Are there greedy and corrupt businessmen who cook the books while wearing a nice pair of khakis and a polo? Yup. God help us if we look/dress/appear like those people, I say (insert sarcasm here).
If we start with the proposition that God looks upon the heart of a man, not the external appearance, then shouldn’t we expect that difference to be a difference of the heart? Not only will it be a difference in the heart, but it will be a difference in the words and the actions of Christ’s followers. Christ’s followers will use their words to build people up. Christ’s followers will use their actions to bring food and water and clothing to the hungry and the thirsty and the naked. Christ’s followers will be the most honest in their business dealings, the most creative in their artistic endeavors, the most reliable in their promises, the most caring in their relationships. Our difference from the world should be in something that God cares about!
Should I Just Go Ahead And Get A Tattoo, Then?
Getting a tattoo is a very serious decision. Even with all the newest technology, a tattoo is still a permanent installation. Many people, in my opinion, don’t think seriously enough beforehand about issues like career, family, meaning, respect, and, most importantly, what their mom will think! In my life, I have felt the liberty to get a tattoo, but have done so with the purpose of drawing attention to Christ, not myself. A good tattoo, much like a good movie or song, is a great conversation starter. On my wrists, I have tattooed the words “χριστὸς κύριος.” Inevitably, someone will want to ask what these words mean – many people assume that it’s written in Klingon. When I explain that it’s the Biblical Greek words for Christ is Lord, they will almost always have a follow up question or two. Do I think that I have to have tattoos to relate with or minister to someone else who has them? Absolutely not. There is someone much smarter than me, however, who claimed to do whatever he needed to do to make the Gospel relatable to someone:
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
It is my sincere conviction that if a person decides to get a tattoo with the motive of giving glory to God, God can and does bless that. I would encourage Christians who get tattoos to get them in such a way that they can be a testimony to God’s redemption, grace, power, and healing in their lives. It is just like our God to take something that Satan would have intended for evil and turn it around into something good. Besides, if you get a tattoo for Jesus, you are not being “tattooed for the dead,” because our great God and Savior is very much alive!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Why Should I Blog?
I am going to start this blog for several reasons:
#1 - I have lots of thoughts, opinions, and ideas (who doesn't) and I'm looking for a format to get them organized. I've tried journaling in the classic sense. Heck, I've even considered getting a moleskin (!), but I'm just not quite that artsy-new-hippie-ish or soy-metrosexual-Seattle-ish. I connect better with my own thoughts when I type them out. Besides, if I want to be able to go back and read my own thoughts, they'd better not be in my handwriting.
#2 - These musings, these posts could be accomplished on Facebook notes, but my hope is to invite more people into the conversation than are currently on my "friend" list.
#3 - At some point, I would like to write a book or two, but I need to practice my writing skills. In the blog format, I can write practice "articles" (that's how I'm going to approach this), possibly for publication someday.
#4 - Mostly, I have a distinct passion for the exchange of ideas. I spend time regularly reading though others' blogs, commenting on the posts, and engaging with the other commenters. Sometimes a comment will turn into a miniature dissertation; if I have my own blog, then I can have a format to more fully articulate my positions on various issues and ideas.
Thanks! Aaron
#1 - I have lots of thoughts, opinions, and ideas (who doesn't) and I'm looking for a format to get them organized. I've tried journaling in the classic sense. Heck, I've even considered getting a moleskin (!), but I'm just not quite that artsy-new-hippie-ish or soy-metrosexual-Seattle-ish. I connect better with my own thoughts when I type them out. Besides, if I want to be able to go back and read my own thoughts, they'd better not be in my handwriting.
#2 - These musings, these posts could be accomplished on Facebook notes, but my hope is to invite more people into the conversation than are currently on my "friend" list.
#3 - At some point, I would like to write a book or two, but I need to practice my writing skills. In the blog format, I can write practice "articles" (that's how I'm going to approach this), possibly for publication someday.
#4 - Mostly, I have a distinct passion for the exchange of ideas. I spend time regularly reading though others' blogs, commenting on the posts, and engaging with the other commenters. Sometimes a comment will turn into a miniature dissertation; if I have my own blog, then I can have a format to more fully articulate my positions on various issues and ideas.
Thanks! Aaron
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