Cleanliness.

I'm a student nurse.

There's a lot of pretty strict rules we have to follow in the lab. One of which being that we can't have any visible tattoos. This rule isn't a problem for me, because I don't have any tattoos. But one girl in my foundations class has a full sleeve.

On the first day of labs, the instructor was going over the rules, "and does anyone here have tattoos?"

The girl shyly raises her hand. "Um, I have a sleeve..."

"And I don't care." The instructor says.

There's a flaw in the "no tattoo" rule that I noticed right away, but I was still a bit surprised when the instructor went over it, too.

If you have ink on your arms, which a ton of people do, when you cover your tattoos with long sleeved shirts, bandages, or whatever... You can't properly wash your hands.

Right?!

We're supposed to wash up to our elbows before touching a patient, yet if you have tattoos, they're supposed to be out of sight. Which restricts your hand washing.

Imagine all the bacteria and grossness your bandages and clothes would be covered in! Gross. I'd much rather have a tattooed doctor than a dirty doctor touching me, wouldn't you?

"I'm more concerned with your cleanliness than I am with your tattoos." My instructor said.

I think it's hilarious how so many people get so upset when people have visible tattoos.

In church, pastors (and congregation members) wear long sleeved shirts to cover tattoos, worried about offending someone. But why does church mean you shouldn't show your tattoos? It shouldn't matter, as long as you love Jesus.

"I'm more concerned with your cleanliness than I am with your tattoos."

Shouldn't that be our attitude?


So what if I said this post wasn't actually about tattoos? Cause its really not.

I don't think tattoos are wrong or sinful or "dirty"...

But pastors and church goers cover up - not just tattoos on their skin, but every sin you can possibly think of.

Why do we feel like we need to hide our dirty, defiled parts as soon as we step into a professional or religious setting?

Don't hide, just because you stepped into a church.

When you're hiding, you can't truly become clean.

Your "cover" gets filthy.

I'd rather have a tattooed doctor than a dirty doctor - I'd rather have a messed up, honest pastor who loves Jesus than a "clean on the surface" pastor who'd hiding his secrets. I'd rather have open friends than friends who hide. Wouldn't you?

I don't care if you have "tattoos". I don't care if you have issues or you're defiled somehow.  Aren't we all?
I'm more concerned with the inside than the surface value.
I'm more concerned with your cleanliness than I am with your tattoos.