Ryan's Story
When I planned to do this blog, I first thought of all the people I might be able to include in it. And early on in my brainstorming Ryan came to mind, because last semester I noticed the elaborate portrait of Christ’s face on his arm. After talking with Ryan, I learned about his well thought-out perspective of tattoos.

Ryan says he always knew he wanted tattoos. And when he became a Christian at 16, he knew he had found something life-changing enough to put on his body. Therefore, soon after his conversion he got a portrait of Christ’s face on his right bicep. Then a year or two later he added the text of the verses Romans 7:24-25, which talk about how God offers salvation to “wretched” man through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the same sitting as the Romans 7:24-25 tattoo, Ryan also got his back tattoos. They are of the words “strength” and “courage” in Chinese. He chose these words because they appear in his favorite poem, “One Day at a Time.” And he chose to get them in Chinese because he is a quarter Chinese.

Ryan has plans for another tattoo. He says it will be a cross made of nails with some script to accompany it. He is holding out on getting it, though, until he can finance it. He says he has more important priorities right now and that he wants to be a good steward with his money. 

In addition to being mindful of the money aspect of tattoos, Ryan is also mindful of where he puts tattoos. He says that he wants to avoid putting tattoos in places that have negative connotations. Also (especially with being a Christian), Ryan has his tattoos in places he can cover, attempting to not to offend people unnecessarily.

“I do know that I don’t want to offend anybody on purpose, and so I can cover them up,” he says. “But, in the end, if someone has a problem with [his tattoos], that is between them and God.”

Ryan says he has encountered criticism about his tattoos. The most extreme criticism came when he was in high school. Ryan says that people took verses of Scripture out of context to say that he was wrong to get a tattoo. Though Ryan believed (after seeking the counsel of others in the faith) that getting tattoos was not wrong, he says he did not have a clear defense to give other people for why tattoos weren’t sinful. But now Ryan has a clear answer: the verses of Scripture that seem to oppose tattoos speak of pagan practices of the time the texts were written, so the commands do not fit the present context.

Though Ryan says tattoos aren’t sinful, he would advise people to get tattoos that are important or meaningful.

“Don’t get a tattoo just because you want to get a tattoo. Really put thought and prayer into it, and think about what you would want to do. Don’t just impulsively get a tattoo, because that is not a really wise thing to do.”

Thanks for reading the stories behind Ryan’s ink. Feel free to leave me a comment below on what you think of tattoos in general. I would love to hear from you!