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Gift exchange between the Beyers Naudé Centre and the Institute of Ethics of the Faculdades EST, Brazil
Author: Marita Snyman
Published: 07/11/2016

Exchanges of significant gifts are signs of friendship, partnership and koinonia between brothers and sisters in Christ. As such a sign, the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology gave to its partner Institute, the Institute of Ethics of the Faculdades EST at São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, an artwork by Professor emeritus Daniël Johannes Louw of Stellenbosch University. The artwork under the name of "Derelictio: Christ the cursed and wounded healer" was brought to Brazil and handed over in a worship service during the third International Congress of Faculdades EST in September by Dr Donald Katts and put in place in the Institute (photo). Made with broken glass, it shows how Christ assumed our human vulnerability and suffered for our sake. In the rising sun behind the cross we can see the light of the resurrection.

Faculdades EST.jpg

This light is also visible in the Easter candle that was brought in return to the Beyers Naudé Centre in October, following the fourth Meeting of the Global Network of Public Theology held at STIAS in Stellenbosch. Prof Rudolf von Sinner, Director of the Ethics Institute, handed over the handmade candle to Dr Dion Forster, Acting Director of the BNS (photo). Whenever we shall look at these tokens, we shall be reminded of our partnership and collaboration in the work of God's reign, justice and love in our respective contexts. Both countries are among those with the highest economic and social inequalities in the world and well know the positive, ambiguous and questionable contributions of churches towards the common good in society.