Thank you to those who have commented on yesterday’s post. Keep ‘em coming. I’m eager to see what you think about this issue.

I hope to suggest some thoughts about Christians and tattoos tomorrow. Before I do, I would like to bring another voice into the discussion to press toward a fuller perspective.

In his book “The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out,” Mark Driscoll interviews a man named Crash on the subject of tattoing. I’ll include an excerpt for us to chew on together:

1. What is your name?

Crash

2. Do you consider yourself to be a Christian?

Yes

3. What is your age?

33

4. What is your vocation?

I own several tattoo studios and a new tattoo magazine, and I write for several international tattoo publications.

5. What services does your business provide?

Tattoos and piercings

6. What is your ministry?

Revealing the truth of the gospel to everyone I come in contact with, primarily people between eighteen and thirty-five, and many who are very unlikely to set foot in a traditional church setting.

7. Why is the popularity of tattoos and piercings growing?

Nothing more than a growing and changing culture. The primary purpose is to express individuality. Much less common is the attempt to stand in defiance of conventional belief systems, but over the last ten years, this motivation has diminished drastically as society has become more and more accepting of these expressions.

8. Do you consider yourself a missionary to your culture?

I feel that I was put in this particular profession for the purpose of reaching this postmodern generation with the truth of the gospel in the arena of a desperate, lost, and angry culture. My goal every day is not to target and convert anyone but to look for opportunities when I might be able to show Christ’s love to people who have never once been shown what the real message of the gospel is. What they have been told, and what they’ve seen themselves, are the lies of legalism masquerading as the gospel, and “quick to judge and condemn” Christians pointing their fingers at them.  (pp. 112-113)

Here’s a couple more questions for your cogitation:

1) Do you think tattoos could be an effective means of contextualizing the gospel in our culture?

2) If so, what should that look like? Does that mean only “Jesus” tattoos, or could such an approach make room for more obscure symbols?