I think that it is fair enough to say that aside from simply looking great, arguably the best thing about tattoos is that they themselves don’t discriminate. Sure, there’s no shortage of narrow minded, ignorant people who practically go out of their way to show their disdain for tattoo art work, but tattoos themselves can be found on people from all walks of life, all genders, all races and classes. I think that’s a really unique and special aspect of the tattoo.
In keeping with that notion, I thought that I would give a special mention to Father Graham Sawyer. Father Sawyer is an Anglican priest or vicar, who recently transferred to the Saint Barnabas parish in Woodford Green, England. As far as being a man of God goes, Father Sawyer is no different than any other person who devotes their lives to their faith. As far as his personal taste goes, well, I would say that Father Sawyer is very different from your average man o’ the cloth.
You see, Father Sawyer likes tattoos. Most recently he’s had a small Quaker star tattooed on his chest, which he says symbolizes his passion for the Quaker movement. Yet that tattoo is simply the tip of the iceberg. Father Sawyer’s body displays more than 15 hours worth of Polynesian tattoo work. Says Father Sawyer:
“I suppose it is a bit of an unusual thing for a priest in this country to have tattoos but it isn’t in places like New Zealand where I worked for a while.
“Coptic priests in the Middle East also sometimes have tattoos on their wrists.
“There is a strong Christian tradition for body art.
“Myself and a colleague who was ordained at the same time as me, both have a passion for body art and have had a sort of friendly competition since then to see who can get the most done.”
It’s really great to see this happening and I wish Father Sawyer and his colleague all the best in their artistic pursuits. I’m sure that there will be those who disagree with the desires of these men to have tattoo work done, but there will always be critics. The importance that tattoo plays in the lives of Father Sawyer and his colleague will always outweigh the naysayers.
Go Fathers!