Welcome to the Cross Tattoo Blog! Before delving into my first post, please read my scribblings in the About this Blog section.

Any armchair tattoo historian will tell you that while this particular form of body modification predates the dawn of civilisation, it was the American sailors of the late 1800’s who really popularised the practice and established the art form as we know it today. While the art of tattooing has evolved dramatically since then, the ‘archetypal’ maritime tattoos, a part of the canon of American Traditional tattoos, are still alive and well today and displayed proudly on the bodies of bikers, hipsters, and housewives the world over. For the sailors of the day, however, these tattoos were not meant to be worn as fashion accessories – they were badges of honour that had to be earned. The symbolism used in these tattoos silently communicated the achievements of the wearer to the maritime community. A tattoo of a single swallow, for instance, was an indication of 5000 miles nautical miles travelled while an anchor indicated the sailor had crossed the Atlantic, and crossed cannons marked military service. Even though the original meanings of this tattoo symbolism is largely irrelevant today, I found personal relevance in one of the earliest maritime tattoos. The words Hold Fast were tattooed across the knuckles to remind the wearer to remain steadfast regardless of the weather and to, well, hold on tightly to the oars or ropes they were handling. There was a time in my life when I needed to be reminded of this simple, yet powerful, motto, so I went ahead and got this tattoo.

To me, as to the early sailors, the words Hold Fast serves as more than a reminder to persevere in the face of adversity, it also means publicly acknowledging that you are not always holding fast, and that you struggle with weakness at times (or damn near all the time!). In my spiritual life, this held great significance for me as there is an unspoken expectation in the Christian community that one must appear to be strong or at least coping with whatever life throws at you. By openly displaying weakness and vulnerability, one may be perceived as unbelieving in the strength of God. This is a prime example of where the denominational culture (rules, behavioural attributes, promulgated by a denomination) directly contradicts the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 12: 9 – 10, Paul writes:

“I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak, then I am strong“.

While this exclamation by Paul is by no means an isolated occurrence in the Bible [See 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 5:3-5], as Christians the perception is there that we cannot be seen as faltering or uncertain or questioning or struggling with our faith. Are these not the very things Paul tells us to boast about? Is the Bible not clear that we are instructed to reveal these very imperfections in our characters and display our struggles with the practicalities of discipleship so that we may create space for God to work in us?

At the heart of it, that is what I’m aiming to achieve with this blog – I want to create a space where I can imperfectly reflect on my struggles and weaknesses as I attempt to forge a path to authentic Christ-followership. Most importantly, I want to do this without oversight or guidance from any Christian authority. Like my heroes, Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, I want to get into the ‘work’ or prayer and Bible study so that I may learn how to establish an authentic relationship with God that is unfiltered in every conceivable way.

Until next time, Hold Fast and ‘tattoo’ these words from Jeremiah 29:11 on your heart:

“For I know the plans I have for you, … , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”.