Why I Like But Don't Have Tattoos

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

@#$%

    Because of my mom, wife, and being a weenie about pain (Whenever I go to the doctor or dentist, I write P-A-I-N where it asks about allergies!), I haven't been inked.

    If it weren't for that, I'd have a lion tat on a bicep; though I'd be careful because muscles tend to sag over the years and I'm afraid my lion might look like a caterpillar over time.

    Hmm.

    Why a lion?

    Haven't you read the Bible or seen The Lion King?

    Besides, a lion is the mascot for my college.

    Anyway, except for orthodox Jews, nobody pays attention to that ink proscription in Leviticus 19:28 just like nobody pays attention to OT dietary laws or Red Lobster would be out of business and vacationers wouldn't be big on Maine.

    Older generations who aren't into 'em tend to be more than a tad judgmental about our younger generations who are really into 'em; betraying they never learned anything from Steppenwolf about the monster in 'em: "We don't know how to mind our own business 'cause the whole world's gotta be just like us."

    How easy it is to forget God likes rainbows and varieties.

    Just like everybody else, I'm nosey; so when I see some ink, I ask the person what it means to 'em.

    Try it some time and you'll escape that terrible generational bias that assumes - and you know what assuming does - "our thing" is better than "their thing" as we discover the depth of meaning and inner beauty being expressed in their ink.

    It's always better to ask than assume if you don't want people to think you're an...

    It's like Martha Young, the first African-American elder in the history of Winston-Salem, North Carolina's First Presbyterian Church, said to me after I presided at her ordination, "You love 'em and let God judge 'em."

    Psst.

    Don't forget imposing our bias on others as the basis for judging them means He's gonna judge us in the same way: "The measure you give will be the measure you get.  You will be judged just like you've judged."

    Too many people, especially in too many churches, seem to forget the Bible is bigger than their favorite parts.

    It's the tragic lesson learned by Billy and Wyatt in Easy Rider as George Hanson warns, "Well, you boys don't look like you're from this part of the country...Well, they got this here, see, scissor-happy 'Beautify America' thing goin' on around here.  They're tryin' to make everybody look like Yul..."

    That's never been God's way of doing things.

    Again, God likes rainbows and varieties.

    He, uh, made 'em.

    Most of the time, Ray Stevens is right: "Everything is beautiful in its own way."

    I'd paraphrase that: "Everything is beautiful in His own way."

    Maybe we just need to learn the lesson of the watch.

    It it's not working, don't look at the hands.

    Look deeper!

    Instead of judging people by...[Don't fill in the blank!]..., let's look deeper and listen longer.

    King was right.

    It's the content of a person's character not the skin color or ink that matters.

    While I may never get that lion on my bicep because of mom, wife, or allergy and you may not like it if I do, it's not about me or you but us and everyone else who have the freedom to be who He designed us to be.

    When we're free to be who He designed us to be, no one has the right to judge us; but, rather, the privilege to praise God for the beauty of His design.

@#$%

Blessings and Love!

@#$%

Salt! Shine! Leavenate!

Look up! Speak up! Stand up! Act up for Jesus!

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%