To Tattoo or Not Tattoo?

Recently, I have been hearing a lot about tattoos. I saw a television show that was discussing how tattoos are not approved by Jews for example, and then also ended up in a conversation with friends on this topic just hours later.

One person seemed against them, although she wasn’t at all being judgmental. Another person was adamantly in favor of them. I decided I could probably make a good argument on either side of the debate so I mainly listened. Ok. Ok. I offered my two cents here and there.

The reason Christians and Jews are opposed to tattoos is because of this single verse in the Bible. Leviticus 19:28 says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."

On the surface it seems crystal clear, and certainly there is nothing wrong with abstaining from tattooing yourself based on this verse. However, this passage and the surrounding verses are all referencing the ways the pagan peoples around Israel worshipped. God does want us to choose to be set apart from the ways other people worship their “gods.”

Today, tattooing your body is not a pagan practice, so much. Surely some may still do this; however the vast majority of people are making an artistic statement.

Years ago, I got a tattoo at a particularly difficult time in my life. There was a lot of challenging things happening to me and around me. None of it was anything I could escape in the moment, but I just wanted an expression of freedom, of flying, even while I was taking life’s lessons with me. I chose a hummingbird. I love that little bird on my back and I am not at all convicted about having gotten it. Still I don’t believe I would ever get another now.

I don’t necessarily think that having a tattoo is any more evil than paying a worker tomorrow for their labor (Lev. 19:13), planting a small garden with more than one kind of seed (Lev. 19:19), or trimming your beard (Lev. 19:27). Some of Leviticus is still very applicable to us today, while other verses are applicable in context.

And yet, I say I don’t know that today I would fully support tattoos, nor would I consider getting another. Here’s why.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Now, if you believe this, if you believe that we are His creation, and that He created us exactly how He wanted us, then changing that creation is, well, pretty sacrilegious. If you have trouble getting on board with this, follow me for a minute.

You fall in love with a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh painting. You save for it your whole life. It’s very expensive to purchase one of these paintings, so you don’t take vacations, you work all the time, you don’t ever go to restaurants and you live in a little shack just so you can someday buy this painting. You’ve given up everything for this painting. Finally you buy it and when you bring it home, your kids decide to pull out their permanent markers and add to this beautiful painting. Maybe they draw something kind of cool on it, but how would you feel?

God created us, His priceless possession. He gave up everything for us, even paid for us with the life of His son, and we decide we know better and color on it. Now, for those of you who feel like this is taking it all too literally, I understand. This is my conviction, so I don’t extend that to anyone else, except as food for thought. And for those of you, who now feel you have another argument to use against your children, friends or other church-goers, first examine your own image. If you choose to partake this particular argument against tattoos, consider the other areas in life, where this may also apply: ear or body piercings, hair color, plastic surgery…. The list could go on and on, I am sure.

Now, once again, it’s possible to argue tattoos any way you want. I don’t believe anyone will go to hell for a tattoo, but I do think there is a best way to bring glory to our Creator. I also think it is your responsibility to prayerfully consider what that is. Don’t rely on what other people say. Don’t take scripture out of context. Do strive to bring glory to your God.

The Secularization of Hanukkah

The other day I had a conversation with my mother about gift giving at Hanukkah time. She had been doing her own Hanukkah research and found some of the same materials and resources online that I had found. (As a side note: I love it when my mom calls me to tell me what she's found in relation to these topics. It's exciting to see truth spreading, particularly to my mom who I owe so dearly for first introducing Passover to our family when I was just a child.) We ended up in a discussion about whether or not we should give gifts at Hanukkah. And I have to admit, I love having little things like this challenged in my beliefs. It makes me dig deeper in my spirit, go back the Source, and really consider why we do what we do. It is only through these conversations that I am challenged to live closer to the truth of God's Word and His purposes for our lives and these celebrations.

It is true that Hanukkah originally did not include presents, but rather candle lighting, worship, and time together with family. Presents were not part of the original Hanukkah celebrations. Gift giving over the course of the eight days was actually a response to Christmas. As I understand it, Jewish children were jealous of the many gifts the other children received at this time of year, so parents began to incorporate eight days of gift giving for the children. Gift giving is in fact a secularization of this special time of year.

Hanukkah is the Feast of Dedication, not a feast of gifting. So, I certainly see the point of those who wish to return wholly to a pure Feast of Dedication with candles and worship of our God as the sole purpose. If I am honest, though, I would miss the giving, gift wrap and seeing my children's faces light up each night. Certainly I can see the point of removing the gifts from this celebration, but I also question whether or not there is any harm in giving gifts to our children, if we desire to do so.

Disclaimer: My ideas are merely my ideas. I am not suggesting this would be right for any other family, other than our own. In fact, I may even change my mind in a future year; however, right now, this is where I have rested on this matter.

I personally don't see anything wrong (at this time) with gift giving as part of Hanukkah. Does it add a flavor of materialism? Sure. Does it add to the secularization of this feast? Probably. Do I feel I should remove the notion of gifts at this time of year? Nah.

My kids and my family have all celebrated Christmas for as long as each of us has been alive. Taking down the stockings, not cutting a tree together, skipping the Christmas carols, and Christmas Eve services is a lot of change already. In addition, I am not necessarily convicted about gift giving in general. I don't believe there is anything wrong with giving presents to your kids or others. I don't know that the main emphasis in pagan Christmas was gift giving either. So, since I cannot think of a solid reason to exclude gifts, since we and our children enjoy that piece of this feast, for now, we'll continue with it.

That does not mean we won't pare down from the materialism of Christmas. In fact, for the last few years, we've made an effort to cut back on the extravagance of it all anyway. This year, we will continue to trim costs, make more gifts at home, and make it ever more about the One to whom all feasts point, our Precious Jesus.

Preparing Hearts and Traditions for Hanukkah

Officially, Feast of Tabernacles is over now, although our temporary dwelling continues as we wait for our home to be built. We wait to enter our Promised Land, but we are enjoying this time dwelling among our lovely friends.

My daughter's birthday is approaching fast now, so I am keeping busy with pinatas and guest lists, but Hanukkah is still on my mind. I've selected a couple crafts for my family already and am looking forward to putting together some special things to begin our new traditions together, and to help them gain a deeper understanding of this special season.

Our Hanukkiah is packed in storage with little hope for finding it, I fear, so I have decided to craft one myself this year. I found this version made of hardware, paint, and a strip of wood on Martha Stewart's web site and I fell in love. It's simple, sparkly, and looks easy to make. I just need to find some candles first so I can correctly size the nuts I need to build it with. This web site offers quite a few varieties of Hanukkah crafts but as hectic as my life is these days, I wanted something easy. Once I make it, I will post pictures.

In addition, when we used to celebrate Christmas, my kids loved having advent calendars of their own as they counted the days. Hanukkah is particularly geared toward counting days, so I was thrilled when I found a variation of this theme for children. This matchbox menorah will fit the bill just fine, as each day they can slide open a box and reveal another flame. I may even include a scripture for each day to remind the children the significance of each and every flame they "light." I am making four - one for each of my children - although I am considering a fifth for the 16 year old girl with whom we are sharing a home these days.

After a brief conversation with her one day this week about why we are passing on Christmas and a lot of reassurance that if they had a tree I wouldn't be at all offended, she said she wanted to research it herself. "If the Bible is clear and history is clear on the origins of Christmas, then there is only one thing to do," she said. I drove off to get my kids from school and returned about three hours later to hear her telling her mom that she wants to celebrate Hanukkah now and not do Christmas things anymore. Naturally, this teen deserves a matchbox menorah of her very own.

My goal is not to convert people to think the way I think. I really don't believe I have that power. I do believe I have the responsibility to share what I believe, and what I have discovered, and to encourage others to do their own research if they are curious. I really didn't expect this teen to seriously consider giving up Christmas at her age. Kids love Christmas! I loved it myself. I just had to decide whether I loved Jesus or Christmas more. And as soon as I thought about it that way, there was only one answer for me. Apparently, there was only one answer for her as well.

The Holy Spirit is doing something I think. I am just getting in on it, now, and I believe He's been working in hearts for years and years - centuries even. I believe He is calling the church back to Himself, to no longer tolerate that Jezebel (paganism/idolatry) in our midst. Many don't want to hear. Many want to linger at the pagan altars that merely have been painted over with "Christian" terminology. I don't think less of them. I was one of them, refusing to lay aside my Christmas! It has to be a work of the Holy Spirit in each individual's life. He works in people differently. Some may never even have heard the truth behind the ways Christians worship. My job is to educate and inform. My work ends in the sharing, the articulation and the encouraging of others to do their own research. God does the rest in His timing.