Pierced

I want to preface this by saying that I have not lost my mind or am caving into peer pressure. With that said, yesterday I got the top of my left ear pierced (piercing the cartilage hurts quite a bit, by the way). This was not a whim, and given this week in my life, it’s actually perfect timing. I found out that the Old Testament (Exodus 21:6, Deuteronomy 15:17) talks about ear piercing (and no, I’m not advocating – this is just my perspective). It refers to a slave or servant piercing his ear to show his loyalty to his master – a master who he does not want to leave. And in doing so, the servant is also showing others that he belongs to his master, and his master alone – no one else can redeem him.

Something changed inside of me last Sunday and I can’t say exactly what it was. All I know is that it was the first time in a very long time (years), that I actually FELT like a Christian. It had nothing to do with my upbringing or my Mennonite background; it didn’t matter that I had gone to church for my whole life or was baptized at 16 – I simply encountered God and his overwhelming love for me. And I know that He alone deserves my loyalty as my creator and the great pursuer of my soul. So I decided to pierce my ear as a symbol and reminder that I belong to God – I am indebted to Him as a servant and I choose not to leave my master. No one else can redeem me but Him alone and I want everyone to know it.

Pierce my Ear (Steve Croft): “Pierce my ear, O Lord my God, Take me to Your door/throne this day. I will serve no other god, Lord I’m here to stay. For You have paid the price for me, With Your blood You ransomed me. I will serve You eternally, A free man I’ll never be.”