I recently updated my Facebook status to say, “I’m thinking about getting a tattoo. What do you think?”

This started a very lively discussion with over 145 comments. By far, more comments than I have ever received on any status update. I found out that people have some really strong opinions about tattoos.

Even though many people quoted scriptures to back their opinions I noticed that the disagreement is primarily along generational lines. For the most part, people that were against tattoos are part of my generation. The people that like tattoos are in the next generation.

I still remember the day that my son can home from the army with a tattoo of a wolf on his arm. I was not happy.

But then I realized there is nothing I can do about this. Mark is my son, and my relationship with my son is more important than a tattoo. In other words, my love for my son is much greater than my dislike of tattoos.

Another thing I noticed in the discussion about tattoos is that the younger generation feels judged by the former generation. This is a big problem for the church. In fact, it is one reason that many children that grow up in church – leave the church. They feel judged, that they “can’t measure up.”

Why is judging a problem? It pushes people away. Nobody wants to hang with people who are judging him or her. We can have really great children’s ministry and youth programs, but if our adult children feel judged, they are not going to hang around.

Let’s be honest though. We all have a tendency to judge others. It’s not a problem that’s unique to my generation.

What is the cure for judging? How do we stop doing it?

Understanding.

I don’t really understand the popularity of tattoos in our culture, but I want to.

Recently, I was talking with a young man that grew up in Super Church and then left the church after high school.

I asked him, “What brought you back to church?”

He told me this story where the pastor of a church said to him, “I hear you have a lot of tattoos.”

“Yes I do” he replied.

“Let me see your tattoos,” the pastor said.

He took off his shirt and told him his tattoo story.

I asked him to give me one word that described his experience that Sunday.

He didn’t hesitate, “I felt understood.”

Understanding is the cure for judging. I don’t have to get a tattoo to understand, but I do need to take the time to listen.

One of the questions asked on Facebook was, “Would Jesus get a tattoo?” Nobody knows if Jesus would get a tattoo or not, but I do know this, Jesus would have eaten lunch with people that had tattoos and He would listen to their stories.

I have noticed that almost every tattoo has a story. Some of the stories bring me to tears. Maybe we should try to gain understanding instead of judging.