The Things that Old People Say

I really enjoy hanging out with our older generation. Before I go any further I guess I need to define what I mean by "older." When I was a teenager that meant anyone over the age of 30, but since I'm now pushing 40 my definition of "older" has grown to mean anyone over the age of 70! There are several reasons that I love hanging out with older people. First of all they generally have lots of wisdom that they are more than willing to share. I will make enough mistakes of my own in life, so if I can learn from their mistakes it could help me avoid future problems. Secondly they usually have tons of stories about the past, which are fascinating! There are plenty of other benefits to hanging out with older people, but I've also noticed that there are a few among the older generation that have the indescribable urge to point out the obvious, no matter how it may make someone else feel. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. A few years ago I was at a funeral for a relative when an older person, who I had not seen in a while, turned to his wife and whispered loud enough for people within 15 feet to hear "boy he's gotten big!" The guy was referring to the weight that I have gained over the last few years. Later on in the evening he even came right out and said "Wow, what is your wife feeding you?" How, exactly, are you supposed to respond to something like that? I had another older fellow say to me "You get bigger every time I see you!" I will admit that at that moment I was having an inner struggle. My spiritual man knew that I should just ignore the comment, but my flesh man wanted to say "and you're getting older every time I see you! Woo man, one foot in the grave dude!" Fortunately my spiritual man won and I just ignored the comment. These are just two examples of many such comments that I have received over the years. I have no idea what these people are trying to accomplish. It's not like I don't already know that I'm fat, why do they have to point out the obvious? Do they think that by calling me fat they are encouraging me in any way?

I know I've been picking on those of the older generation, but they are certainly not the only ones that say things they shouldn't say. All of us are guilty of saying things without thinking about how it will make others feel. In grade school we all learned the rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." This sounds nice, but it's not true. Yes, if I break a bone it's going to hurt, but that pain will soon be gone. However the pain that comes from careless words can last for years. As a pastor I have spoken with many people who had someone say something 10 or 20 years ago and the pain is still fresh. We need to think about what we say before we say it. Ephesians 4:29 says "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (NIV) What this means is that before I say something I have to ask myself if my words will build someone up, or if they will tear them down. If it won't build them up, then perhaps it would be better if I didn't say anything at all. That can be hard, especially if we're upset or angry. However, anger is never an excuse for hurting someone else. The way to avoid this is to memorize Psalm 141:3 which says "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." (NIV) Asking God to help us think before we speak is a great first step in making sure the words that we use are helpful, not hurtful.

Tattoos and God

Recently there have been several people that I know who have gotten a tattoo. These people range in age from teenagers in high school to a retired lady in my church. Over the years there have been many Christians that have said many things about tattoos. I’ve heard many Christians use Leviticus 19:28 as a Scripture against tattoos. Leviticus 19:28 says "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves." These Christians have no problem quoting this verse, but anyone that knows anything about studying the Bible knows that you cannot simply take one verse and form a doctrine, you must put it in context. As I read the entire chapter of Leviticus 19 it tells me several things: observe the Sabbath, do not reap to the edges of your fields, do not plant your fields with two different kinds of seed, do not wear clothing woven with two different kinds of material, do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard, rise in the presence of the aged, and many others. I like to ask people that use Levitucs 19:28 to judge those with tattoos how many of these other commands they have violated. Are they wearing a t-shirt? Chances are it’s a 50/50 blend of cotton and polyester - two different materials. Do they shave? Do they do any work on Saturday (the Sabbath)? Using the same standards they use to judge those with tattoos they themselves are just as guilty of sin.

What these people fail to realize is that most of the laws in Leviticus are Old Covenant, we are living under the New Covenant. The same covenant that allows us to avoid the Jewish dietary restrictions, shave, wear 50/50 blended t-shrts, and cut our grass on Saturday also allows us to get a tat if we want one. I don’t think God really cares, as long as it’s not something perverted or ungodly.

I personally do not have any tattoos, and probably never will (although I have not necessarily ruled out the possibility), but I must admit that I really like tats. If done well they are walking works of art. Tattoos are not for everyone, but if you are considering a tat please humor this old man for a moment and listen to a little advice on the subject.

1. Remember, it will be with you for the rest of your life so make sure that you really want a tat. Jimmy Buffet has a song called "Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling" that sings about this topic. Make sure you are doing this because you really want a tat, not because it’s a fad or because all your friends are doing it.
2. It will be with you for the rest of your life, so choose something that you won’t mind having on your body that long. I knew a guy once who was a huge fan of Harry Gant and had his name tattooed on his arm. Who’s Harry Gant you may ask? My point exactly. Nobody today knows who he is, yet this dude still has the tat. (Harry Gant was a NASCAR racer that retired in 1994) My dad also told me that if I were to ever get a girls name tattooed on me, make sure it was my mother’s or my daughter’s names. My mom and my daughters will always be my mom and daughers, but unfortunatley girlfriends and wives are not always permanent. How would you feel if your significant other had a former boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses name permanently etched on their body?
3. Make sure it’s put somewhere that you can show other people. Hey, it’s a tat - a work of art - and the purpose of art is to show it off. If you put it on your butt or your boob you can’t show others (unless you want to get arrested!) There are some exceptions to this rule, but really, what’s the point if you can’t show it off?
4. Make sure that you can easily cover it if you need to. Some jobs require that you have no visible tats. I’ve seen several people with tats on their hands, neck, and even their face. Although many of them looked cool, they also have limited their career opportunities because of their tat locations.
5. Make sure that it’s nothing that will embarrass you later in life. I saw a guy one time that had a four letter word tattooed on his upper bicep. It may have sounded cool when he got it, but imagine this guy at 80 years old trying to explain to his great-grandchild why he has a bad word on his arm
6. Choose the right tattoo artist. Good tats are expensive, but in my opinion well worth the money. I’ve seen too many people with "jailhouse" tats, or tats done by people that had no clue what they were doing. Avoid tattoo parties as they almost always have struggling artists or beginning artists that just don’t have the experience. Remember, this will be on your body for the rest of your life (70 to 80 years) so make sure you choose the best artist possible. Yes, I know that every famous artist today had to start somewhere, but as far as I’m concerned they can get their experience on someone else!

There are several great Christian tattoos that I’ve seen that can be great conversation starters. What a great way to open the door to talk about your faith! Tats are not for everyone, but if you get one, get one that will glorify God!