Richard Sawdon Smith, a professor in the Arts and Media Department at London Southbank University—and a tattoo-wearer himself—gets right to the point in explaining why many people have tattoos: “This is actually a kind of way of empowering myself by saying, ‘This is my body, and I’m in control of it’” (“Would you hire a tattooed employee?,” BBC Newsnight, September 4, 2013).
Yes, tattoos are a powerful personal statement, and they proclaim a “me first” attitude that does not mind getting “in your face” to show off one’s pride in his or her own body, for all to see. Yet, for those who follow God, the approach of “pleasing myself first” is the exact opposite of the outflowing concern for other people that defines God’s love. The Apostle Paul wrote that “love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5). That kind of love is not what most people associate with a tattoo!
And this is not just a New Testament perspective. Long ago, God commanded His people, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). As the designer of the human body, God proclaimed it as “very good” after creating man and woman—without tattoos (Genesis 1:31)!