Eleven years ago today it was Easter Sunday. Most Easters come and go and seem to blend together, but not that one. I was home in the States just for the weekend from Vancouver, BC, where I was attending The War College.
I have no idea how my friend and I managed to get tattoo appointments on Easter Sunday with just two-day’s prior notice, but I suppose it was just serendipitous.
So there we we were…getting matching tattoos on our feet…on Easter Sunday.
The tattoos are simple and took no more than 5-7 minutes to complete (albeit agonizing minutes…feet are BONEY and not particularly great for needle work :)).
It reads: eleutheria
It means ‘freedom‘ in Greek. Its fuller meaning refers to the first century practice where a slave’s freedom could be bought and that person could never be enslaved again for the rest of his or her life.
The significance of getting this tattoo on Easter was not lost on us, and still holds incredible significance to me today.
Galatians 5:1 reads,
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Christ died on the cross for you and for me so that we would never again need to be enslaved to sin.
This, in its fundamental meaning, ought to compel us to grow ever-closer to Christ and become more like Him, able to ward off temptation to sin. We aren’t slaves to sin any longer, but I fear we too often use our ‘human nature’ as a cop-out for not living holy lives.
This is foundational.
But are we not also slaves to other burdens in the world? Are we slaves to a system, to the judgments of others, to comparison, to religion, to expectations…?
Do we really, truly live free lives, able to be who we are completely and unabashedly?
While perhaps not the wisest choice to get a foot tattoo, the reason we chose the foot was because of dance. There is something about dancing…the ability to move freely in dance…that we felt also held significance to our internal freedom (spiritual and emotional).
To really be able to let loose and dance, you have to be pretty confident (if others are watching) and free to move your body as you feel led. I’d be willing to bet that the majority of the adult population is self-conscious while dancing.
Guilty as charged.
Reagan has some really great dance moves and I think it’s beautiful that she dances freely because she hasn’t yet reached an age where she cares what anyone else thinks.
And I love dancing with her because she’s not judging me. In fact, because she’s a momma’s girl, she actually mimics my dance moves, which makes it that much better.
The other day we danced to ABBA. Best EVER.
I love me some ABBA, and the two of us dancing in the kitchen while I cooked dinner…so much fun!
There’s a freedom and beauty in those moments that is pretty rare for me.
The reasons why are a bit convoluted…but as I was reflecting on this anniversary of getting my tattoo and on the freedom we have in Christ, I was realizing how much I’ve sacrificed my freedom to just be me–to be who Christ made me to be–because of others.
What beauty, what greatness, do we hide because of others? What do we hide because of mistreatment, misjudgment, false beliefs, fear…?
Are we slaves to these things or do we live in the freedom Christ gives us to be who He made us to be?
It’s likely not just black and white, but many shades of gray in between…a sliding scale of sorts depending on different seasons in our lives, different circumstances, different people around us…
…but one has to wonder, if we are really truly grounded in the depth of the LOVE of Jesus, should any of those things matter?