Tattoos and Piercings Scare Me

As I look around the world today and compare it with a decade ago, I have noticed that we are becoming a more decorated group of people - from tattoos (aka ink) to piercings to technicolor hairstyles.  

Maybe tattoos and piercings don't scare you or make you uncomfortable.  But, I know that for each one of us there are certain types of people that make us uneasy.  It can be people of a certain ethnicity, political stance, socioeconomic category, gender, age, lifestyle, religion, etc.  Each one of us has someone that seems as approachable as a person with leprosy.

Jesus addresses this challenge in Luke 10:25-37.  Jesus gets approached by a very educated man who wants to know how to get to heaven.  As is often the case, Jesus spins the question right back to him.  The man answers with a summary of the 10 Commandments - love God with everything and love your neighbor as yourself.  

But, he wants to know who his neighbor is - maybe so he can do the bare minimum or to make sure that he is covering his bases.  

So Jesus tells a story that we have grown to call "The Good Samaritan."  As you read this story, keep this in mind.  Jews hated Samaritans.  Samaritans were "half breeds" - half Jew and half not Jew.  Jews abused, mistreated and spit on Samaritans.  Yet, of all people who come upon this Jewish man who had been attacked and left for dead, the Samaritan is the one who stops to help him out.  The Samaritan goes to great lengths to care for him - even covering his medical bills.

Many times, we connect with people who are like us.  We have things in common.  We speak the same language.  We understand each other.  But, these aren't the only people God wants us to connect with.

 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17 (NLT)

Jesus died for the sins of the entire world - not just for people who are like us.  God calls for us to reach out beyond our boxes and comfort zones to share Jesus with others - even if they have tattoo's, piercings, technicolor hair or maybe no hair at all.  

If you do bump into someone with tattoo's, ask them for the story behind their ink.  Most people have a story for why they have the tattoo's they have.  It's a great conversation starter.