Wednesday 1 August 2012

The wee small hours seems as good a time as any to admit to such a thing - so let me ask you: have you ever thought of having a tattoo? I wonder what you would think of having - and where you might think of having it?

I'm far too cowardly to get one, and anyway I would probably be in such a dither trying to decide what to have that the tattooist would give up and go home by the time I had made my mind up. Of course, there are all sorts to choose from. There's the scary ones, with skulls and snakes and such. There's the soppy ones with hearts and flowers and the name of someone you love. Sometimes there are sentimental ones to remember a friend, a place, or a special part of your life.

The thing is, once you've got one you're really stuck with it, aren't you? Unless you go to an awful lot of fuss and bother, you've just got to put up with what is there in skin and ink.

A little while ago I met someone with a very unusual tattoo. Up the side of his body were written the three words of the Olympic motto:citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher, stronger) As an young aspiring athlete they were intended to act as a source of inspiration - reminding him to reach for the best and try his hardest. Sometimes it was just the encouragement he needed, at others it felt like just another blow to his confidence.

The Bible is full of words which are meant to encourage and inspire. When Jesus told his disciples to 'be perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect' he knew they would never do it - but it gave them something to aim for. Telling people to 'love one another as I have loved you' is another high ask - but it gets people's hearts and lives moving in the right direction. These words act like arrows, pointing us in the right direction, not traps to trip us up.

My friend, meanwhile, is doing his best to live up to the words he carries round on his body. He gets up early, trains in all weathers, and pushes his body just about as far as it will go. He's going to be busy at the Olympic stadium this week - and I wish him all the very best.