Is That a Tattoo?

Faith, Hope, and Love

For my 50th birthday, I got a tattoo. This wasn’t a “spur-of-the-moment” decision for me. I’d given it a great deal of thought. Some people have been honestly surprised, even shocked. Others have offered their approval, maybe because they, too, have a tattoo, or they really want one, but someone won’t let them go for it. Whatever the response, I’m still happy with my choice.

Church as it was intended.

Getting a tattoo is just the first decision. You then have to confront the what, where, and who of the “tat” decision, choices that were not too tough for me. I first considered the word, Shalom, in Hebrew, engraved across my left wrist, and easily hidden by my watch if need be. But, I wasn’t sure how that might fly with my Islamic friends. Given my love of China, my passion for learning Mandarin, and my strong affection for the Beijing International Christian Fellowship (the most amazing church I worship with in Beijing), I decided to go with the Chinese characters for Faith, Hope, and Love (also used in the BICF logo). And, it looked best on my leg, just above my right ankle. I guess I could hide this tattoo if I needed to, but why get a tattoo if you’re just going to cover it up. Besides, while I approve of tattoos, I certainly do not approve of wearing crew socks with shorts. I may be 50 years old, but I sure don’t want to look like it. The who of the decision was really easy. There just aren’t that many options in Abilene, Texas.

Welcome Tent

You’d be surprised how my “street cred” has improved, at least with the people whose opinions I really care about. These folks never ask why I got a tattoo. They ask what it means, which begs the question I really hope they’ll ask, “Why faith, hope, and love?” Talk about opening doors to meaningful conversation.

I had a ton of those conversations yesterday at Convoy of Hope DC (http://convoydc.org). My new DC friends could care less about me having a tattoo. They’re more concerned about putting food on the table, medical care, and opportunity for their kids. You know, the stuff of life most of us take for granted because it’s always there. Funny, isn’t, how twisted up we get about tattoos when the rest of life is so easy. Anyway, I had a really great day, not just talking about my tattoo, but actually living what it means. It’s not easy living life without faith, and faith is all about hope. Love? Well, it’s the best (and the greatest, according to Scripture).

Convoy of Hope DC

Beyond all the other stuff you’d expect from a day of serving others, my favorite part was looking women and men in the eyes, shaking their hands, and saying hello. Such an easy thing to do, and packed with incredible blessing. Human worth and dignity is so easily communicated when we let go of petty notions about so many things that just don’t matter, and we focus on people who do matter. I guess that’s what being like Jesus is all about.

Greg and Hainey Staley and Wayne

Let the Children Come!

Job Fair/Resume Writing Tent

Prayer Tent

Haircut Tent

Hot Dogs and Hamburgers

Kid Zone

Family Portrait Tent

Health Services Tent

10,000+ Served

Faith, Hope, and Love

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