"I like your ink - is there a story that goes with it?" This simple question has opened doors to many deep conversations with strangers in a variety of settings. I have been told stories about memories, beliefs, griefs, joys, and even childhood abuse - all as a result of taking interest in what someone has expressed outwardly via their tattoo(s). Asking this question has been part of a personal journey from judgment to curiosity, and I have found it to be an effective, albeit unpredictable, way of entering into another's story. I've also been granted opportunities to share how some of their stories connect to the story of Jesus Christ.

Ink and Skin: Word Made Flesh is a study project that will continue to ask this question, research the history and meaning of body art, suggest changing our focus from judgment to curiosity, and provide some potential connecting points for sharing the gospel. The study is not intended to discover or provide another one-size-fits-all method; instead it will suggest that sharing stories can sometimes lead to uniquely personal ways of sharing the gospel.

During this study, I will visit with a chaplain of a seafarer's mission in New England who has had similar success using this question with international shipping crews. I will also listen to tattoo stories, instead of sharing 4 laws or 2 questions, on the beaches of Daytona. And I will sit with artists in one of the most tattooed cities in the United States.

My goal is to write a blog during the study, which will become a book at the study's end. Ink and Skin: Word Made Flesh is already on Facebook for pictures and stories. Go ahead - ask someone in the coffee shop or the beach: "I like your ink - is there a story that goes with it?"