There are a number of saints of whom it was said that they bore the wounds
of Jesus on their body, but it is true that the Dominican mystic Heinrich
Seuse had made incisions on his chest to sign IHS for Jesus on it. The pain
associated with the technique was seen as a positive and religious
experience.
Early Christians were often branded with a
cross, a fish or the name Jesus so that they
should be recognised and excluded from
society, but soon they saw that themselves as a
confession which created a community.
Christian sailors in later times often had similar
tattoos as a reminder and as a protection in
danger, these were mainly crosses, hearts and
anchors also angels or praying hands.
Walid Ajasch is a tattoo artist these days doing
his business in Bethlehem, last year he had
more than 2400 customers, pilgrims to the Holy
Land from all over the world,
He has himself tattoos of Jesus with the crown of thorns and even of the
crucifixion, one of his customers was a Syrian girl who had a cross tattooed
underneath her pony tail so that it would not be so obvious to Muslims, and a
Palestinian boy had a cross and the line ‘Thy will be done’ inscribed in
Arabic on his wrist. He said it would prevent him from doing something
wrong.
Religious symbols as tattoos are for many Christians the expression of their
identity, even of their spiritual healing. Carrying them on their body they feel
themselves connected to God.
BW
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StOM Page 15