New Celtic Tattoo

New Celtic Tattoo, originally uploaded by politbike.

This is my first tattoo - inked by Garghoyle Tattoos of Elland, West Yorkshire. I chose this design for several reasons:

- As a Christian, the cross of Christ is very important to me; He died that I may live.

- The Celtic weave pattern is made up of one continuous line. God is above all, in all and through all that I do, part of the ongoing tapestry of my life.

- The circle behind the cross represents the world, for whom Christ died.

- A tattoo is permanent; God will never let me go.

- The Celtic design represents my ancestry; I am about a third Scottish - my grandfather and my great grandmother were both Scots.

- IC XC NIKA is "Jesus Christ, Conqueror" (or Victor) in Greek. IC XC are the first and last letters of Jesus Christ in Greek. NIKA means "conqueror" or "victor" (Nike was the Greek goddess of victory).

Many Christians seem to have severe hang-ups regarding tattoos. Their main argument is that Leviticus 19:28 appears to forbid marking your body. However, "A text without context is a pretext"... and this passage has often been quoted out of context. Leviticus 19:26-31 is clearly speaking of pagan ceremonies which were in danger of being accepted by the Israelites. The pagans would drink the blood of a sacrificed animal to gain its life source, but don't we eat meat, which has blood in it? This passage also prohibits the trimming of your beard - how many Christians today even have beards? Likewise, the pagans would cut themselves and inscribe their bodies on behalf of the dead, to appease false gods. Are Christians with tattoos really paying homage to false gods? Of course not! A Christian tattoo is proclaiming the living God! Unbelievably, I have even met "Christians" who thought that eating onion bhajis was to concede to false islamic doctrines! As Christians, we should be mature in our faith. Making up the rules based on our own assumptions, generalisations and prejudices is the way that the enemy leads people away from God's truth. Read His word, and let the truth set you free!