Through the years, body piercings have surfaced once again and gained momentum in the history of mankind. Like an endangered specie or a long lost tribe that has been finally found, we have seen the resurgence of body piercing in the last two decades and it is fast becoming more and more a part of the mainstream Western culture.
If you browse through entertainment or fashion magazines, you will notice many hot superstars flaunting their beautiful belly buttons bedecked with sparkling jewels. It first dominated the world of hard metal rock, but now the fashion has creeped into tinseltown as well and into the movies, the latest of which is the piercing sensation "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
Much has been said about piercing, but there is one very amazing facet of piercing that no one has ever seen yet. You may have seen some of the weirdest and most extreme piercings in this site or from other sites. Have you even wondered why in spite of the pain, people are drawn to pierce themselves? Allow me to quote a paragraph from Colleen McCullough's novel, "The Thorn Birds":
"It is said that “There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to outcarol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain;driven to the thorn with no knowledge of the dying to come. But when we press the thorn to our breast, we know, we understand.... and still, we do it."
Yes, as I look at pictures of different people piercing themselves beyond human recognition, I remember the thornbirds... and one very important Person who lived His life like a thornbird - the Messiah. He had no other purpose for being born but to die.
From the start of His ministry, He has been seeking for His death by offending the Pharisees with His unconventional and radical teachings. The most beautiful song ever sung was at the cross when He cried out, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stands to be saved by that single song, a song that told the world what love is all about - that regardless of what you've done, who you are, and where you've been, you are worth dying for.
And so the Great Savior was impaled upon the tallest standing tree that towered over all of creation. The thorn bird has found His thorns but He wore it as a crown instead.
The greatest and most significant piercing was done on a craggy hill called Calvary. He was pierced for our transgressions but the world did not still to listen. Perhaps they'll listen now.
I heard He still bore the piercing wounds when He rose from the dead. The jewel He wears? None other than your precious life which He bought at the highest price.
I have a very strong feeling that the reason why man is driven to piercing himself since the beginning of time, is because he has foreseen his model for peircing. Beyond his knowledge, deep down inside him is a force that compels him to do so, for the Christ within has a deep longing to share in the sufferings of his Source who did the same thing two thousand years ago.
