Including touch-ups and additions, I’ve sat in a tattoo artist’s chair over 20 times. I rarely wear long-sleeved shirts, so you can see some of my collection if we ever meet. I use that word intentionally: collection. As a lover of tattoos, I’m also a lover of art. I thus collect art from artists all over the world. The difference between me and a collector of oil paintings is that I always have my art collection with me and never run out of things to look at.

Not everybody appreciates tattoos, nor does everybody understand why people get them. It’s easy when you see somebody like me, covered in tattoos, to make assumptions about the content of their character. There’s still a bit of a stigma out there that suggests, to some, that only lower-class or rough people get tattoos.

My father used to be one of those people. That’s why I waited to get my first tattoo on the day of my 18th birthday when my parents were in Scotland. There wasn’t much he could do on the other side of the globe! He wasn’t pleased initially, but he eventually came around and has now gone to the shop with me several times. He hasn’t yet got his own tattoo, but I’m working on him.

Over time, that stigma has lessened. 40 years ago, somebody who looked like me would never have been called to be the pastor of St. Peter’s. Actually, no church would have hired me. But here we are, in 2024, and a metalhead, tattooed comic book nerd has been welcomed by a church that is always looking for new ways to welcome everybody into our fold. And we mean that: everybody. This is a place where everybody can have a seat at the table, where all can meet God in an oasis of love.

Difference isn’t something we fear at St. Peter’s. I’m as different as they come, but I have never once felt like folks have used my tattoos as a reason to dislike me. Difference shows up in lots of ways. Skin color. Language. Sexual and gender identity.

At St. Peter’s, we are working to ensure that difference isn’t just welcomed but celebrated. I was astounded when the Episcopal Church Women, a fellowship group at our church, asked me to speak about my tattoos. They listened to the stories of where, when, and why I got each piece. They asked rich questions and made me feel so warmly embraced. My difference wasn’t a barrier to connection but was the very thing that enabled connection. It was beautiful, and I can’t thank them enough.

That’s the kind of church we aspire to be and the kind of world we want to build. As a church, we follow Jesus of Nazareth, who welcomed the outcast and the saint and called them equal. As a church, we strive for a more just world where all feel tolerated, welcomed, and valued. If the world has beaten you up, or you feel overwhelmed by the waves and storms in your life, St. Peter’s can be a haven for you. If you’ve found yourself on the margins of church or life in general, come here and be welcomed into our midst. No tattoos are required!

Chris Adams is the Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington.

Wyoming’s lone representative in the U.S. House will face a challenger in the upcoming primary.

Harriet Hageman’s (R-WY) opponent ran for the same seat in 2022 but as a Democrat.

Physical injury attorney Steve Helling of Casper ran against Hageman as a pro-Trump Democrat but lost the Democratic nomination to Lynnette Grey Bull back in 2022.

He said if elected, his primary focus would be to pass legislation to halt the construction of nuclear energy plants like the one planned for Kemmerer, which he describes as unsafe for Wyomingites.

“There is no permanent storage facility within the United States for the storage of this nuclear waste,” said Helling. “I mean, we need to think of our future generations.”

Helling said he filed to run again in 2024 to give voters another choice on the ballot besides Hageman.

“Even though I’m now a Republican, which fits myhE stance, I haven’t changed my positions,” said Helling. “I was [also] pro-life when I was a Democrat.”

Helling has also said he considers the Jan. 6th insurrection at the Capitol to have been mostly peaceful.

“I’m not afraid of getting locked up for inciting, insurrection, or civil war or anything like that,” he said.

Hageman ousted former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in 2022 after receiving an endorsement from former Pres. Donald Trump.

She’s a member of the far-right National House Freedom Caucus and chairs the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.

This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.

Two Florida parents are devastated after their brush with Oakland, California’s crime wave left them with the heartwrenching decision to pull their son out of a college in the Bay Area and begin piecing together their shattered hopes for his new life away from home.

On “Fox & Friends First,” they recalled the fear they felt when they discovered the windows on their rental car had been shattered while they were helping their son move into his dorm. Several valuable items had been stolen, and they were dismayed to learn that no one could help – not even local police.

“When we called the police, they said they can’t come now [and] we have to come to the station,” said Nerissa Murray Watson, the mother of would-be Lincoln University student Rhomel Crossman.

FLORIDA FAMILY PULLS TEEN FROM CALIFORNIA COLLEGE AFTER LOSING THOUSANDS IN ‘BIPPING’ CAR ROBBERY

“I said, ‘Sorry, we don’t know where the station is. We just got robbed. We don’t know the area. We are afraid, and can you come and help us?’ They said no, they can’t come,” she added.

The family claims they called the police a total of three times to no avail. Things didn’t get easier after arriving at the station, Watson said, recalling that they had to wait approximately 15 minutes outside before being allowed in.

Crossman, who recently graduated from high school in Florida, had planned to attend Lincoln University in downtown Oakland on a football scholarship until the twist of fate occurred.

“I was actually excited because I was starting a new chapter in my life, and I was excited because I love playing football,” Crossman told Fox News’ Carley Shimkus on Thursday.

SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS SMASH-AND-GRAB BANDIT OVERWHELM CALIFORNIA JEWELRY STORE IN WILD HEIST

Crossman was pulled out of California’s Lincoln University, pictured, after the incident rattled his family (KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco)

Thieves reportedly broke into the vehicle and stole five suitcases. A bag containing $3,000, several personal items including passports, social security cards, Crossman’s high school diploma and even a sleep apnea machine are also in the thieves’ hands, according to The New York Post.

Watson said the ordeal left her wary of sending her son to college in the area, so she has decided to keep him in Florida.

Lincoln University President Dr. Mikhail Brodsky, responding to the incident, provided a lengthy statement to Fox News: “The information about a broken student’s car is unpleasant but not unexpected. Such things happen in Oakland, San Francisco, Bay Area, California, and the U.S. It’s not the worst thing, there are many worse ones,” the statement read in part. 

OAKLAND LOCALS BLAME HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT FOR CITY REMOVING TRAFFIC LIGHTS TO STOP COPPER THIEVES

“Earlier, Lincoln VP Doctor Guerrera sent our supporting letter to the student [sic] parents… Lincoln University is a victim of the situation. However, we love Oakland, which is a beautiful city with great traditions. I am sorry for the student. It is his decision, but Oakland and Lincoln University offer many great opportunities that he will not get in Florida. I wish that these losses are the worst that will happen in his future life,” it continued.

Watson reacted during Thursday’s broadcast, saying that lack of support is one of the top reasons the family decided to pull their son out of the university.

Fox News’ Christina Coulter contributed to this report.