Tattoo Journey and Faith

This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. and I am your host Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion..

Personal History and Faith

Most of you know I grew up in the era of So. Cal punk and in 1978 that era contributed to a resurgence of tattoos which were still popular with bikers and donned the arms of those who served in the military. Coming from out of an LDS background I hated tattoos and worse yet I hated the perceived lifestyles of those who had them. I saw those who had them as low-life’s and viewed them with prejudice. After years of being a Christian I realized the prejudice and bias I had toward that crowd and as a means to humble myself before others like me chose to get my first tattoo at fifty years of age.

As I have collected eight of them (ever since and will not get anymore) people ask quite often what they mean. So before we embark on the up and coming changes in the ministry, let me work through them for those who care. I got this cross and had to sign a hold harmless form from the parlor where I got it because they had never had given anyone their first tattoo on the top of their hand. To them it was too aggressive, would ruin my chances for certain employment and would actually be more painful (they said) than somewhere less sensitive. I signed the release. Looking back I am happy I waited until I possessed something truly meaningful in my life before I permanently got an emblem of it on my body. And nothing, no symbol, means more to me out of the gate, than the cross. A number of questions are asked about this cross and the other tattoos I have and so I want to explain them because they are all symbols of great importance to me and my faith.

The Tattoos and Their Meanings

Actually, they tell a story. And that story begins with this cross. People ask why I didn’t get it the “right way” suggesting that tattoos should be so others can understand them who are looking upon the bearer. First of all, I am not very big on what should be so there’s that. However, I wanted to have the cross be first clear to me, I wanted to see it the right way, and to remember it for what it should mean, and then live up to that meaning. I also did not fill it in because I wanted my flesh to be seen through it – as if my flesh is being crucified with Christ daily.

The second tattoo I have on my is a combination of the Christian Anarchist Flag and the lower portion of a heuristic I created called the Fourth Dimension Christian. Christian AnarchySomeone who follows Christ as their only authority—rejecting institutional control over their spiritual life. is a term that speaks to Christians who are (without) “an” any other archae than Christ. It represents Christ as our primary first and last go-to King and no other sharing His throne – no government, no person, no power no authority. The Christian Anarchist flag looks like this (without the Cross). But this image is also emblematic of the lower portion of something I created called the fourth Dimension Christian. Let me quickly draw it out to explain.

The next tattoo is an X (show it). Inside this large X is a brand of a smaller X I got many years before my first tattoo. In fact, I have three brands on my skin which I got years before any tattoo. But around this small brand, I had a large X placed. X is a really important symbol for me personally and for innumerable reasons as it represents so many principles I appreciate. But relative to the faith, and God creating and working with human beings I have always maintained that everything begins with X. Let me quickly illustrate that.

(EXPLAIN IT UP TO THE POINT WHERE there is a merge)

Then explain the merge and then introduce my next tattoo – the immersive star of David – and show how it is an expansion of the X. (Show Fourth Tattoo here – STAR OF DAVID) You can see thus far that these tattoos are beginning to illustrate the importance I place on growth in Christ. All made possible by the Cross. Then the choosing of the Cross and the maturation experienced as a result, then the merging of God and Man into one cohesive whole.

Spiritual Growth and Symbolism

The fifth tattoo (show the Z) also illustrates the growth of believers spiritually. It looks like an equal.

The Overlapping Ages

At this point in my own personal development, I began to study the biblically based supports for brick and mortar church, human authority, and ages. During these years, I began to see that the Bible clearly described the time periods in which God worked as two distinct overlapping ages. Let me go to the board and explain them now.

Once I understood that biblically supported fact that God has had victory over sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., hell, the grave, and Satan as a means to reconcile the world back from the effects and conditions of the Fall, I got my next tattoo and how it represents the heavenly realm with God at the center and His light emanating out toward the surrounding dark regions of disbelief.

The New Jerusalem

And this leads me to my eighth and final tattoo, which brings it all back together in my mind. This tattoo represents the New JerusalemThe spiritual reality of God's fulfilled presence with humanity—replacing Sheol after 70 A.D. above (which would be housed right in the center of this circle). It is described by John as being light, having walls, having gates that are open day and night. John also describes a space outside these walls. I included in this illustration an emblem that represents something Paul longed for when he was alive – which scripture refers to as exanastasis and best means, “out-resurrection,” meaning a resurrection that is out of the ordinary. For this reason, I put this little circle as being above and outside the light of the kingdom itself.

Finally, I designed this tattoo to bring us and our desire for the New Jerusalem to the reason there is one in the first place, and I made the image reflective of the visage of Jesus – with his long hair, crown of thorns, and drops of blood – which brings us all the way back to the cross.

Encounter with a Surgeon

A few years back, my wife was working for a dentist and cut her arm really badly with a scalpel. The wound required surgery, and an LDS hand surgeon came in to work on her. During the course of the procedure, he looked me up and down and said, “Tattoos? There for sociopaths and criminals.” I lowered my eyes and replied, “exactly.”