Everyone gets tattoos for different reasons. Some get them to honor a loved one or even to honor God, others to indicate how many people they “capped” and which gang they joined. I want to avoid any broad or unfair generalizations. But there is one reason I distrust on theological grounds. I think many, especially the young, get tattoos to define themselves–to say, “This is who I am.”
When self-definition is the motive, I think tattoos are to identity what meth is to happiness. It is quick, artificial, and short-lived. Real identity is the result of a difficult and long process of discovering who we are through the values we embrace, the decisions we make, the people we love, and the things at which we excel. A tattoo, however, allows us to define ourselves in an afternoon.
Getting tattoos can be addictive not just because of the endorphines, but because establishing our identity is a process. It is possible that each new tattoo is another chapter in the story of self-discovery, but I’m not certain Christians get to write that book. But certainly this approach makes some sense for an atheist. But even atheists run the risk of making mistakes about who they really are. Everyone hits many dead-ends and wrong turns in their search for identity. Tattoo removal is a thriving business.
As a Christian I believe only God knows who I really am, and that my true life, my true identiy is now hidden in Christ (see Colossians 3:3–4) and will only be revealed when He returns. As an old geezer, I have a pile of false self-definitions I have disregarded over the years. I am glad I didn’t record all my delusions in tattoos.
None of this is say anyone–including Christians shouldn’t get tattoos. It is an explanation of why I have no tattoos even though my sons have invited me to get some as “a father and son bonding time.” (Sweet, huh?) But it is also a warning against letting tattoos become a substitute for the hard work of discovering our identity. Even at 58, I still have to say I am becoming–only God can say, “I am.”
But hey, when Christ returns maybe I’ll get a tattoo. Now will that be a pre or post tribulation tattoo?
