earrings, mules, crop rotation .....oh and tattoos

Approaching my last birthday I decided to do something that I had wanted for quite some time.
I had wanted for years....a decade at least...a tattoo. I knew which design I wanted for about 7 years or so and I did delay to make sure what I wanted would not change. I chose African symbols. I'm black and I think it is ridiculous when brothers or sisters are walkign around with some other culture's symbols on them instead of embracing their own heritage of peoples. I also hate bad weaves but I digress.... The symbols I chose represent acquired wisdom from experience and the grace and importance of faith in God.

Needless to say I gave a lot of thought to what I want and I did NOT want something frivolous to be on me forever more. Still I wasn't trying to walk around with billboard saying hey I got this awsome tattoo...cuz that would be lame, but I did tell some folks...which brings me to the point of this post...but I had to give the background of it all!

So I told an individual that I had at tattoo and the reaction from this child (she is a tac my junior) was, "why would you do that and defile your body...I mean it is your temple!!!!!"
Now this person has 2 tattoo but that was before a rebirth into a saved & sanctified (hallellujah) relationship with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. My response was because I don't believe in all that shit. Now let me clarify......I believe that Jesus is my personal savior. What I don't pay attention to is all the extra. All the little petty things that characterize us as humans that we all want to put on God. So I was offended on more than one level by this response.

Number one, it isn't something that is clear as day that to have a tattoo is un Christ like or Godly.

Number two, as Christians we are set apart from the Jews who live under the law of the old testament. Hence Christians eating BBQ Ribs.

Number three one thing that I find NOT Christlike is being judgmental...especially when the judge is not obeying every other fake .... I mean frivolous law. Let me say also that I respect this individual for her faith walk but I'm sure she has no idea how judgemental she came off nor how that behavior is to me not Christlike. Far worse than my tats. Romans 14:13 says, "let us stop passing judgment on one another." But seriously, one obeys all the laws in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 19:28 does states, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. (um tattoo wasn't even a word but you know folks "translate" the bible to make it mean what they want) Other things that were called out in the bible in Leviticus right next to marking one's self (which was direction given as not to confuse the people of God with those performing acts of heathen worship so does it still apply if you are tattooing a big mac on your shoulder because you love mickeyD's..I think NOT!) are listed below:

• 19:19 You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breeed together 2 kinds of cattle (oooooh Mules are OUT!!); you shall not sow your field with 2 kinds of seed (corn year round....no green beans, no sugar can...just corn) nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together. (Finally a verse that bands those 2 ugly susters....Poly and Ester!)
• 19: 26, "Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood," you could read that to exclude non kosher or rare steak....
• 19: 27, "Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards." ZZ top round this joint

• Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21 "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk" No Cheese burgers :-(

Now for my long long rant!

1. First of all, regardless of what is agreed upon by the masses on tattoos, body piercings, cursing or swing dances, why do we put the petty things that are important to us as people in our various cultures on God and what God wants, expects or cares deeply about. I don't pretend to know myself but one thing I do know is people are petty. We care about the unimportant. Do we really think that someone will make it to the after life and God will condemn them to the depths of Hell because when they stubb their toe they say shit instead of shucks? Really? Seriously? Whatever ou say...it all means that it hurt and shocked me all at once and I am expeiencing an extreme emotion right this second due to my physical state. Personally, I thought Jesus came to teach us to not be all about tradition and religious repitition and to focus on loving one another and what is in our hearts. One can be tattooless, un-pierced, never cursed, eat only Kosher and never listened to secular music but be a HATER. Now on the outside this person has followed all the rules. Letter of the "law". But hate is in your heart you are not trying to really be like Christ. If you don't have pure love...that Jesus kind of love and let that be your inspiration for your acts. We should all take a note from Jill Scott's golden and want God to be proud of us. I don't like to refer to God as a he (or she) because that would give God the petty characteristics of men and women. Now we may have been made in God's image but likely God is without our foolishness!
2. As Christian I have always been taught that I am free from old testament law. Not that I think the old testament should be ignored. The bible is a life guide for me...new and old testaments. The Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). I was always taught that is partially why Christians are saying we are FREE. Free from bondage of tha law. Free from sin because we have Jesus. Free from the damnation & punishment we would sure withstand under the old laws (at the hands of other mankind no doubt) Ceremonial laws (sacrifice and temple worship) were fulfilled by Christ and the ultimate sacrafice. We can learn form the laws but we are not bound by the letter of them all. I mean who is going up on mounts killing goats these days? The civil laws were the law of the land and given specific to the nation of Israel at the time. I live in the district...and while the crack heads make it seem like wilderness...it is not anywhere near Israel. Then there is the moral law that is to be obeyed by the heart. This is what we should concern ourselves with. Not tattoos, fake contact lenses, bad weaves (which I've always considered a serious SIN but that's just me...I'm praying myself out of that), four letter words, ghetto/tacky behavior, gold teefuses, interracial dating, long skirts, drinking wine (bout to get me some in a minute) and looking pious. Our right standing before God comes from placing our trust in Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for our debts, not on following the Old Testament regulations. Galatians 3:24-25 "Therefor the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But not that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
3. Why do Christians think it is so ok to be so judgemental? WHY? Just accept that if something convicts you that is just YOU. Don't put it on everyone else. Just because you were an alcoholic does not mean that no one else can have wine with dinner without turning into lindsay lohan and flash everyone their snatchbox. Not to mention no one obeys every law anyway so how can you judge let alone voice this judgement indignantly to other people.

Ok I got to go...shit just stubbed my toe....guess I'll go have some wine to calm my nerves and snack on some babybel cheese with some sloppy joe mix I have before I rub lotion on my new tat before bed.