Years ago I decided a symbol was so meaningful to me that I had it tattooed on my right wrist. Had I asked for opinions, words of discouragement would have followed and my life might not have taken the direction it did. Symbols become more than signs when trusting faith is placed in them. They connect our physical existence to a dimension that transcends our sensory and intellectual grasp. My first tattoo is a Soaring Dove, representing the Spirit of Truth flowing through my body. It soon evoked deeper reflections. Four months later I took another leap. I branded my forearm with three outstretched wings emerging from the Hebrew letters YHWH. This icon represents Scripture. It’s the emergence of the New Testament Trinity from the Old Testament Torah. It is the Gospel rising – divine wings uplifting and guiding me forward, leading me firmly through the uncertainty of this life towards the certainty of a future promise.
A cross would be trite and overexposed by secular misuse that diminishes its spiritual value. A sure way to profane a symbol is to display it everywhere: disrespecting it, abusing it, belittling it, wearing it meaninglessly as widely done today. My tattoo commitment was different. Inspired by the Jewish Arm-Tefillin (Bible verses tied around the forearm) they are a graphic reminder to interpret my faith in God’s Providence with personal and concrete actions of love. The symbols are perfect, my commitment is sincere. What I didn't expect were the significant consequences that swiftly followed. In those days, I was considering going full-time into charity work. I wanted to retire from a business that fulfilled my material desires, but failed to nourish my spirituality. I was struggling to forestall that hollow anxiety that Saint Augustine wisely defined as responsible for “making our hearts restless until they find rest in God.”
Three years later all is clear in hindsight. Before the tattoos, uncertainty and ambiguity ruled. After the Branding in Christ, my confidence grew with trust and dependence upon him. I had committed to change and change is what followed. Undoubtedly, it’s simplistic to credit tattoos with the accomplishments of Vision First – a charity serving over 300 needy and marginalized refugees – but evidence testifies to the benefit of inviting God to redirect one’s life for his greater glory. Symbols remain decorative until we believe in their power. Likewise, images are underestimated until Faith activates them with life-changing energy. My tattoos were just ‘a witness upon my arm and a memorial before my eyes’ until the Living God smiled and appropriated them to bring meaning into my unfulfilled existence. Through a growing faith and dedication, these tattoos remind me constantly to live more simply and share more deeply.
