On this tattooed Christian

I have a Calvin and Hobbes tattoo.

I got it when I was a sophomore in college. I enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes, and the spirit that the creative young boy and his sidekick imaginary tiger resonated with the collegiate me. To date, there has never been a comic strip that has communicated the many questions that life can bring up, and deal with the myriad answers with which one can come up to answer, than Calvin and Hobbes. It was a brilliant strip, and one that has played a significant role in my life. It would be the first of three tattoos I would go on to get: the second, on my torso, is another tiger, and the third, on my nape, is an Egyptian ankh, which symbolizes life.

On August 17, 2001, I welcomed Jesus Christ into my life. In the course of my Christian life, I’ve gotten flak for having these tattoos. “Christians shouldn’t have tattoos,” they say, then they bring up Leviticus 19:28: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” (You can imagine their thoughts, specifically, about the ankh, which came after a dalliance with Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.)

Well, I got these tattoos 6 B.C. (six years before Christ). I don’t think Jesus would exclude me from His kingdom on the basis of three skin art designs; my salvation is secure. 1 Cor 5:17 tells us when Christ is inside us, we become new creations: the old is gone, and the new has come; from that point on, whatever I’ve done in the past is gone and forgiven. That includes my tattoos; if God is offended by tattoos, at that moment when His Son became the most important Person in my life, these tattoos are now invisible in the eyes of God. God has forgiven me; why can’t you?

Tattoos, for all their earthly permanency, are temporary. Philippians 3:20-21, which tells us that, upon His return, Jesus “will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” 1 Cor 5:40-49 tell us our new bodies will be free of disease, pain, and death. Given what I know of the Second Coming outlined in Revelation, I doubt my Calvin and Hobbes tattoo will join me in heaven.

Remember, too, the context of Leviticus 19:28. I wouldn’t want to wear wool in the Philippines; at the rate my hair grows, I would look funny next to everyone who sports long beards and sideburns. Furthermore, it serves as a pretty good conversation starter with a lot of people, which then paves the way for me to talk about how much better my life has become since Jesus started hanging out living in my heart.

I wouldn’t have gotten these tattoos if Christ were my priority back then, if only because tattoos have the tendency to glorify the tattooed, not God. However, I did get these tattoos, and in free will gifted me by God, these tattoos serve as a reminder of what my life was before Him. I can’t go back and undo these tattoos. I may not necessarily be proud of what I did, but God allowed me to have them happen; I know they will play some role in helping me reach out to others. In the local vernacular, anjan na, e. Who am I to second-guess what God has in store for me in the years to come?

My priority is to honor God in the new life I have now, and I hardly ever bring up my skin art. It is not my priority; building my relationship with God, supporting my lovely wife, raising a godly family, and being a godly worker, are.

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4 Responses to “On this tattooed Christian”

1. Mikes@Your Daily Word says:

   May 30, 2009 at 11:56 am

   Very right! What’s important is your love for him and his Lordship and not what your appearance is. God Bless you brother.

   Oh speaking of tattoo, i have a lot as well but not the same as yours but blemishes brought by my sinfulness and just like yours, this one is now invisible before God by the blood of Jesus Christ!

   Praise God!
2. Arnold Gamboa says:

   May 30, 2009 at 12:33 pm

   You have a nice tattoo, Ganns. It made me want to have one months ago. :D

   God has a tattoo — well, figuratively — and he has tattooed your name on His hands. ;-) (Isa. 49:16)

   Thank you, Arnold. I appreciate the encouragement, both friendly and Biblical.

   Maybe henna? :)
3. Hazel Chua says:

   June 2, 2009 at 7:06 am

   Hi Ganns, I have 4 skin arts, one on my upper arm, one on my chest (I know, eew), one on my ankle and another one on my upper back. When I became a Christian, the first thing I wanted to do was have them removed but my husband said “no” and he explained why I should not. His reasons bordered on the aesthetic (keloidal kasi ako, lol!) and the spiritual. Well, I’m glad the Lord granted me the grace to submit to my husband’s wishes. My tattoos are now nothing but mere representations of the old me and when I look at them in the mirror and get reminded of how my life was without Christ, I can’t help but sing praises to His Holy Name for raising me from the dead. Yes, the new has come, the old has gone. It’s the heart that God looks at, not the skin. :)
   Have a blessed day!

   That’s a very good way of looking at it, Hazel! Thank you for posting and sharing.
4. Vince says:

   July 22, 2009 at 8:20 pm

   I agree with you. However, to be clear if you are already a Christian tattooing yourself is NOT a good testimony. Not only of these Biblical quotations, but also also in our own context. Tattoo are used by the secular, worldly people. And for such, I think tattooing ourselves just to reach these people is going beyond the line.

   I believe that we can still reach the world without conforming to their ways.

   Just a thought and a reminder.

   For you however who already have it, just continue to walk in God’s ways.:) May God bless you Ganns.

   Thanks for this, Vince. :)