John Brady

January 31, 2023

Links, Leaning Luddite

 Christian tattoos.  Here is a profile of a Coptic Christian family in Jerusalem that has been tatooing crosses on the wrists of Christian pilgrims to the holy land for several generations. I don't have any tattoos (so far); for years I've said that the only way I would get one would be if I visited the holy land, in which case I would be sure to visit these people.
coptic tattoo.jpg

Egyptian Copts usually wear a small tattooed Cross on the inside of their right wrists; these tattoos offer protection, a statement of commitment, and a means of identifying one another in a context of severe discrimination

In effect, the small black cross tattoo that virtually every Copt wears is a visible reminder that in an overwhelmingly Muslim society, they represent the “other.”
They’re not just a symbol, but also a form of ID. For safety reasons, many churches station security personnel at their doors to check that those entering have the tattoo as a guarantee that they are in fact, Christians.

Some western Christians have adopted the tattoo in solidarity with the world's persecuted Christians. Frederica Matthewes-Green is one:

Conquerors of Christian lands hated images of the cross, of Christ and his saints; sometimes they scratched out the eyes of icons, in a futile attempt to eliminate their power. So I want my faith to be visible to the world. For some that might mean wearing a prayer bracelet, wearing a cross visibly, a bracelet of small icons — there are many ways to silently bear witness to your faith. Whether times are going to get harder or insidiously softer, bearing visible signs of our faith will keep us aware that our first allegiance is to Christ. They will remind us and our fellow Christians, and bear witness to powerful despisers, of where our first loyalties lie. They will remind us of the decisions and commitments we have already made, in the sacraments we’ve received and the worship we offer, and strengthen our conviction that nothing will turn us back.


 Return of the horse. A few towns in France are replacing municipal vehicles such as trash trucks and school buses with horse-drawn carts.  Very good.

Slow shopping. “A Dutch supermarket chain introduced slow checkouts for people who enjoy chatting, helping many people, especially the elderly, deal with loneliness. The move has proven so successful that they installed the slow checkouts in 200 stores.”
Twitter via Marginal Revolution

Paul Kingsnorth made a pilgrimage to Mount Athos, and reports with his usual anti-modern emphasis, but incisively. "If Athos falls, we all fall."

More on Man of God.  Here is an interesting interview with Yelena Popovich, the writer and director. From a Romanian magazine, but in English. 


IC XC NIKA
My Hello Page

About John Brady

Occasional thoughts, mostly about the Orthodox Church.