August 2011
In honor of my visit to the Word Made Flesh field in Brazil, This is a story about the black ring of tucum, a ring made from the fruit of the tucum palm tree found in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil. Ben Miller, former Word Made Flesh Brazil staff, wrote this after receiving one of these simple black rings from a woman named Lilia.
She (Lilia) told of a bishop, who in meeting with the leaders of the Tapirapé people, an indigenous tribe, was awed by their faith and resilience. The bishop asked for forgiveness for the treatment of their tribe by his people, and more importantly, forgiveness for the church’s complicity in the oppression of their people over the centuries.
The bishop then took off his gold ring, the symbol of his office, and presented it to the Tapirapé chief saying, “We cannot return all the gold we took or restore all the lives we destroyed, but we long to try and make things right. Take this ring as a symbol of the desire for what the church will be—no longer taking, but giving.” The chief accepted the ring and reciprocated by removing his black tucum ring and giving it to the bishop as a symbol of forgiveness and solidarity.
For the Word Made Flesh community, the tucum ring has become a symbol of remembrance of the love and forgiveness gestured in this exchange of rings. Wearing the black ring of tucum can be a pledge to remember Christ’s love and to symbolize solidarity with the poor, excluded and forgotten of society.
It is my hope that we all find symbols that remind us of the deep love of Christ—symbols that guide us to toward more loving and embracing lifestyles. Little tokens to remind us that we are to give, not to take.
Isaiah the prophet writes, “But it was for our offenses that you were pierced, for our sins that you were crushed; upon you lies a chastening that brings us wholeness and through your wounds we are healed”. Isaiah 53:5. I want to remember today the deep love of Christ. And I want to help others to remember this love too.
Peace to you all and thanks for reading!
Hilary
In my September letter, I will share of my field visits to Bolivia and Brazil!