Personally, for me and my skin, tattoos are taboo and body-branding is verboten. As it is, my covering is a patchwork of moles, freckles, and spots; of scars, scabs, bites, wrinkles, and blotches. An added design might be an improvement — or at least a distraction from my imperfections. I do admire the ritual scars of the few men of my acquaintance raised in tribal cultures, but I will leave my face uncut. My own tribe — Episcopalians — make no demands of the skin. Our rites of passage use water, oil, and a few words; rites that make no obvious change to the epidermis. What we look for are outward signs of inward change, speech and actions that show we have invited the Holy Spirit into our hearts. May it be so!

Photo of orange paint left to peel off a rusty light pole.
Photo and prayer copyright 2019 by Danny N. Schweers.

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Comments

Anne wrote:
Brilliant, Danny, on so many levels!

Craig wrote:
Thought it was tree bark… how the mechanic mimics the organic.

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