Loading Video . . . Singer Ileana Santamaría wrote a poem that she then brought to musician Raffi Dimoian to produce this intimate spoken word piece imagining Eve's response to Adam from Genesis 2:21-24. Genesis 2:21-24 Eve's Song By Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian Credits: Written by Ileana Santamaría Composition and Piano by Raffi Dimoian Vocals: Ileana Santamaría Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2017 Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This piece, “Adam! (Eve’s song)”, came about as a response to Genesis 2:21-24 and to the beautiful idea of a helpmeet* – Ezer in the Ancient Hebrew, a helper suitable for man, a companion on this Earth that was given first to him and then to her and their progeny. In a way, it was also a response to the deeply moving response to the same passage conceived by Spark and Echo in their first album. Titled “Flesh”, that work – in itself Adam’s response to this wondrous creature made from and for him, marked by an exuberant, childlike joy and excitement in showing her around the garden and declaring giddily, ‘I was waiting, I was waiting for you’, made quite an impression on me. Recently I was reminded of that fascination with the idea of Eve after reading a blurb from Christian author Gary Thomas’ book Cherish , in which he espouses the notion of Eve being the only woman on Earth as a guideline for men struggling with temptation, calling on them to cherish their wives (hence the title) as the sole woman on Earth, the precious gem crafted for and given especially to them. The seedling of an idea was thus born and lay dormant in me until recently, namely, that of responding to this Scripture by assuming Eve’s voice as she responds to Adam about her calling from and to his side and their calling together. Raffi has been a perfect collaborator for this piece, helping me flesh it out from its bare-bones poem form and suggesting verbal markings that brought out both the music in the recitation and the deeper meaning in the words themselves. After that initial interaction with and response to the piece, he then took to the piano and, with each new run-through, engaged my delivery, helping along the shift from monologue set to music to an interplay in the fullest sense — both interactive and playful, words responding to and bouncing off of notes and vice versa. It is our hope and prayer that “Adam! (Eve’s song)” will capture something that will speak to and, in keeping with the spirit and the objective of this wonderful Spark and Echo Arts project, illuminate some aspect of the person of Eve — who and what she was made to be before the Fall, beyond the infamous fruit of the tree she is perennially associated with. The piece aims to tie in that destiny “redeemed, restored”, as one line reads, into the redemption of our humanity in Jesus Christ, and in particular, of the aspect of woman as partner — a femininity that goes way beyond one-dimensional stereotypes back to its true roots in gentle yet fiercely loving strength and capacity to love and serve and to follow our Lord together with man through the hardships of this life. *help·mate ˈhelpˌmāt/Submit a helpful companion or partner, especially one’s husband or wife. Origin: late 17th century (as helpmeet ): from an erroneous reading of Gen. 2:18, 20, where Adam’s future wife is described as “an help meet for him” (i.e., a suitable helper for him). The variant helpmate came into use in the early 18th century. (From Google Dictionary ) Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ileana Santamaría began the performing artist life as an aspiring Latin singer over a decade ago, embarking on the long journey of fulfilling an aspiration rooted in an eclectic, music-filled childhood. After much meandering, following (mostly unwittingly) where the Lord led, she happened upon a voice teacher that opened up her voice and found beauty in it, a surprise to Ileana, who had long struggled with vocal technique and producing healthy, beautiful sound. While waiting for the surprise of getting to sing, her Heavenly Father bestowed upon her many other gracious gifts — a knack for foreign languages, work in an international organization, friends from many countries and walks of life, and a talent for and enjoyment of crafting spoken word poetry, which Ileana first dabbled in producing and performing in her college years. Today she is privileged and honored to collaborate on this piece with her dear friend Raffi Dimoian ( bio below ), French horn player, pianist, budding spoken word artist and fellow appreciator of wordsmithery and language. Raffi Dimoian set out on his journey to multifaceted, inventive music-making in early childhood; classical piano was his first port of call (and a home base he would return to often) before choosing the French horn as primary instrument in his teens. Drawn to jazz and world music, Raffi came to the United States, the first foreign student to attend the California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship. The palette of sounds Raffi works with in composing and producing edgy, lyrical tracks is enriched by his fertile aural imagination and his eclectic musical influences, which span the sounds of his Armenian heritage and Bulgarian upbringing as well as his affinity for Middle Eastern microtonal melodies and African rhythms, to name but a few. Raffi is a lifelong language buff and has enjoyed the process of helping create music for a spoken word piece, finding himself inspired to write some of his own spoken word poetry as a result. Website Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian About the Artist Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Brooklyn-based stop-motion animator and mixed media artist (painter, sculptor) Jessie Brugger chose Isaiah 59 for this fanciful and macabre exploration of Spark+Echo Arts' 2012 theme "Hands." Molding clay, Jessie inquires of the imagery in the passage, vividly animating the poetry of the ancient prophet's grim language. Isaiah 59 Webs By Jessie Brugger Credits: Curated by: Charis J Carmichael Braun 2012 Film, Stop Motion Animation Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Born into a Catholic family and having a father who was a Catholic priest, I am intrigued with religion and how it takes such a presence in society. There are a lot of unknown's when it comes to Religion; for me, and my work is an exploration into that unknown. The church has been a main influence on my life and work; as it is the first place I understood hierarchy, power struggles and gender injustice, at the same time experiencing beauty, light, and spirituality. I often use the "Carnivalesque" as a vehicle to portray my thoughts and stories. I was interested in the Bible project that Spark and Echo Arts is doing because there were no limits placed on my interpretation of any passage from the Bible. I chose hands as my theme because I believe the Bible is a mixture of Man's hands and spirituality. I chose Isaiah 59 because it was so visually dark and showed how evil man could be, yet somewhere in hands that can do evil, they can also do beauty and goodness too. Hands have always been my favorite thing to draw since I was a child. My hands are my tools. Creating my vision through clay maquettes that I build in order to tell a story, I use the maquettes as a world to draw from, and then animate. The sculptures are raw and imperfect. I am interested in video because of the time element, I am interested in stop-animation because of the freedom of imagination it allows for: each photo that is taken in the process of a stop animation video is a moment in time that is captured, and complete, yet it is part of a bigger picture. My maquettes, paintings, drawings and videos are all part of a bigger world, in which I am creating. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jessie Brugger was born in Puyallup, Washington. She started her artistic studies of painting, drawing, and mixed media at Western Washington University in 1997. In 2000, she transferred to Concordia University, in Montreal Quebec, receiving her Bachelors of Fine arts in 2002. Jessie moved to Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in 2005, and in 2010 she completed a Masters of Fine Arts at the New York Academy of Art. She started doing stop animation in 2010 with her drawings, clay, and other mixed materials. The videos that Jessie makes are colorful and whimsical, yet disquieting and socially political. In April 2011, she was awarded “Best in Animation” at the New York International Film Festival for her video, “The Stained Glass Window.” Jessie works on her animations, maquettes, paintings and drawings in Brooklyn, New York. Website Jessie Brugger About the Artist Jessie Brugger Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Img 1660 img_1660.jpg isaiah-43_3.jpg isaiah-43_4.jpg Loading Video . . . This visual work by theater artist Emily Clare Zempel explores the concept of "Beginnings" and Isaiah 43:18-19 which invites us to "Remember not the former things." Isaiah 43:18-19 Rivers in the Desert By Emily Clare Zempel Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2012 Digital photography collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I felt called to respond to this theme because I have been experiencing a period of beginnings in my life. Most tangibly, my husband Jonathon and I moved to a new apartment in the Bronx. We packed our things, said goodbye to the East Village: to restaurants on every corner, to a shower in our kitchen, and to the three tiny rooms that comprised the first home we shared together. We said hello to an unknown neighborhood in the Bronx, space, empty streets, room to breathe, and new possibilities. With the energy of a fresh start, I made my "New Years Resolutions" in February, a little later than usual. As my body began to unwind from that compact 300 square feet to a spacious 1,000, my mind began to clear, and I began to fill the time and space now given to me by searching for the next step in my professional and creative life. For me, this has involved a lot of theological exploration, discussion, and journalling in my new found subway time. I have also begun to develop new areas of my life, areas that I have always wanted to explore, but that have been put on the back burner due to restraints in time, space, and finances. Physically, I began training for a marathon. I have enjoyed running for several years now, but I am amazed at how the structure of a training program is allowing me to thrive. Combined with my proximity to Central Park, I am ready to be amazed by what the human body can do, and how we can challenge ourselves to use it more fully. Artistically, I am hoping to expand my interests into visual art (mostly drawing and painting) and dance. I know that growing in these areas will feed my artistic spirit and deepen the work I do in both music and theater. Last weekend I was told that there are two deep sources of pain that we as humans habitually cultivate; impatience with other people and everyday worry. Realizing that these two instinctual reactions are a choice that I make has been a powerful factor in this new chapter of my life. Highlighted in this realization is the fact that when I try to control my life, these two monsters are constantly looking over my shoulder. When, in some rare moments, I am able to trust and let go, those monsters lose their hold on me as well. The above pieces are an exploration of my visual sense of newness, creation and beginning. Compiled are photographic elements from a few series of photographs: a perfect witch hazel plant in full bloom, our new apartment stacked full of boxes, and New Years Resolutions scrawled on sticky notes. This series of four photographs explores the struggle between God and myself to create new beginnings. I cloud His purpose with my will, my busyness, and my frantic pace, trying to create my future and force it into submission. Meanwhile, God presents me with this "new thing", which I am only able to see if I let go of my cluttered mind. I found it fitting to explore these themes in a very unfamiliar medium, forcing me to relinquish my control and my ego, and to begin expanding my vision. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Clare Zempel (Spark+Echo Arts Co-Founder) is an actor and musician based in Beacon, NY, who received her MFA from Brooklyn College. Favorite credits include Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost at Milwaukee Shakespeare, Ophelia in Hamlet at Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, and Wittenberg at Rep Stage, which was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. She plays bassoon, ukulele, guitar, clarinet, and other assorted toys in Spark & Echo the Band, has co-created the original play Esther with Jonathon Roberts and Chris Cragin, and has a small obsession with running marathons. Website Emily Clare Zempel About the Artist Bitter Drink Emily Clare Zempel Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Jacob David Pettibone Loading Video . . . We are pleased to present the work of David Pettibone as he explores the theme of "Hands" from the story of Jacob and Esau from Genesis 27:1-17. Genesis 27:1-17 Jacob By David Pettibone Credits: Curated by: Charis J Carmichael Braun 2012 16 x 27 inches Oil on canvas Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I consider myself agnostic and initially had superficial reservations about taking on this project. Yet I have a deep respect for religion and immeasurable appreciation for the good that can come out of faith and tradition. I also have always felt an intense connection and fascination with the iconography of the Catholic Church and would never deny the effects of nearly two thousand years of christianity on an individual, growing up in a western society. My stance on religion, I feel, is important to mention as it hopefully gives the viewer insight into the approach I chose towards making my painting. I was initially drawn to the theme of hands for many reasons. As a painter, I create with my hands. The handcrafted, in the age of speed and overload, is almost a symbol of defiance. To create directly with the hands is to slow the world down and reconnect with all that is physical and sometimes primal. An unmatched level of craftsmanship and much beauty can come directly from the hand. And yet, at the same time, the hand is responsible for so much that is ugly and destructive. The human hand can nourish and save life and it can just as easily, sometimes with more ease, take life away. In Genesis, through his hands, Jacob deceives his own, blind father, Isaac, in order to obtain the birthright that was to be his elder brother's- to rule over his people. And it was those same hands, with which he later wrestled with an angel, thus becoming "Israel", a prince with God and a leader of the Jewish people. I chose the moment of deception as the subject for my painting as it is a moment that expresses the extreme contradictions that the human hand is capable of. Mores specifically, I chose to focus on the hands themselves. As it may look to a dying, elderly man, blinded by age, obscure hands come out from the shadow and are laid down on a blood-red table. Instead of goat skin, I chose lambskin to cover the backs of Jacob's hands. Traditionally, the Bible refers to believers as Lambs of God, and I felt that using lambskin would bridge the identity from Jacob to all people. As all of us are capable of using our hands towards both deception and graciousness. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection David Pettibone is a New York based artist focusing extensively on the medium of oil paint and the portrayal of the contemporary figure. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona and received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Upon graduating, he stayed on at the New York Academy of Art for one more year as a Fellow. He has taught painting at Brooklyn College and currently teaches drawing and painting at Marymount Manhattan College, 3rd Ward in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Artist Gym. His work is included in various private collections with continuous growing support. Website David Pettibone About the Artist David Pettibone Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Author Lancelot Schaubert offers the final release from his inventive three-part mini-series, presented as a small newspaper in response to a collection of Scripture passages. This section focuses on the theme of "kings" as found in Judges 9:7-21 in addition to a summation of the series. Judges 9:7-21 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Creative Writing Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I wanted to literalize the story of the trees electing a king, so I featured some of the tree creatures of Gergia and their recent conclave to elect a new Woodward. I think you'll find that the sort of thing spoken of in Judges is quite literal in Gergia. The Dragonsmaw daily is a paper circulating on LOMEDAY of the month of BLAGUROEDD 47 in the year 1109 P.T. on Gergia, one of the Vale Universe ( short story series here ). It may seem like a high-shelf sort of entry for the average reader, something that takes a herculean effort to embrace in terms of the suspension of disbelief or secondary belief in my created world. However, I think it's quite easy: if you'll trust me, it'll read as a wonderfully foreign paper from a wonderfully foreign world. It's ephemera: something like an in-world artifact I happened to pick up from a newsboy who was hawking EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA copies in order to have enough ₮ to get his sister through the week on an onion (actually it's more like a leek) based soup. She beat the fever, in case you were wondering. But I brought it back from Gergia and gave it to my friends at Spark and Echo that it might supplement the stories I've written here and elsewhere about these fantastic worlds I travel so frequently. For those that have followed along in any capacity, this paper tells of events taking place prior to the events in the Moon Boys series from my artist residency and quite far in the past from the other commissions here at Spark and Echo. It occupies the region around the Imperial Crescent in Gergia (top left of the main land mass on that false map I drew of the world) . Each of the events recorded in this paper feature major workings in the region. All together I wanted to bind up the themes of extinction, of power dynamics, and of being lost and found into one piece. So I stitched together three commissions in a more unified form than normal. Of course some parts of the paper will remain out of reach for some time — like any foreign country, Gergian customs and economics and politics only make sense after you've lived there for quite some time. But one day the times, dates, seasons, and currency will make perfect sense to you. And then the dread realization of what the paper really reveals will come all too clear, as clear as a Bell Hammer. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lancelot has sold work to The New Haven Review (The Institute Library), The Anglican Theological Review, TOR (MacMillan), McSweeney's, The Poet's Market, Writer's Digest, and many, many similar markets. (His favorite, a rather risqué piece, illuminated bankroll management by prison inmates in the World Series Edition of Poker Pro). Publisher's Weekly called his debut novel BELL HAMMERS "a hoot." He has lectured on these at academic conferences, graduate classes, and nerd conventions in Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, Tarrytown, NYC, Joplin, and elsewhere. The Missouri Tourism Bureau, WRKR, Flying Treasure, 9art, The Brooklyn Film Festival, NYC Indie Film Fest, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Institute of the North in Alaska, and the Chicago Museum of Photography have all worked with him as a film producer and director in various capacities. Website Lancelot Schaubert About the Artist Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 1 Posh Girls As Waters Cover Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 Watchtower Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By As with most shared newspapers, some of the pages have been pulled out and are out of order, so you will have to piece them together as the project is released. You may find the other parts of the project at Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 and Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 . You may also view the entirety of the project, here — as a brand new newspaper. Related Information View More Art Make More Art FANCY FEAST has returned to Dragonsmaw! View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . FANCY FEAST has returned to Dragonsmaw! Download Full Written Work

He is Good; His Love Endures Forever (11x17, Paper Collage on Strathmore Drawing Paper) They Burned the House of God (11x17", Paper Collage on Strathmore Drawing Paper with Conte Crayon) Loading Video . . . In this project, collectively entitled "A Body without the Spirit," visual artist Nicora Gangi explores a contrast between two passages from the same book: 2 Chronicles 7:3-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:19. 2 Chronicles 36:19 2 Chronicles 7:3-4 The Body without the Spirit | 1 By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, April Knighton 2021 Various Sizes Mixed Media Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link About "He is good; His love endures forever" (from II Chronicles 7:3-4) This collage was created to give the viewer a sense of looking up at the perfect glory light of God's presence. This account in II Chronicles shows us the reverence of His people before Him, adoring Him, expressing their awful dread of the Divine Majesty, along with their cheerful submission to the Divine Authority. They—with thankfulness—acknowledge the goodness of God. Even when the fire of the Lord came down they praised him, saying: "He is good, for his mercy endureth forever. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, but the sacrifice is consumed instead, for which we are bound to be very thankful" (NASB). About "They burned the house of God" (from II Chronicles 36:19) In this image I have begun to create a scene of the havoc and destruction of the temple. The previous verses ( vv. 14-18 ) describe the desolation itself. Multitudes were put to the sword, even in the house of their sanctuary. They fled for refuge there, hoping that the holiness of the place would be their protection. But how could they expect to find it so when they themselves had polluted it with their abominations? They forsook God, who had compassion on them, but they still would have none of Him. All the remaining vessels of the temple (great and small), all the sacred treasures of God's house, and all the secular treasures of the king and his princes were seized and brought to Babylon. The temple was burnt, the walls of Jerusalem were demolished, the houses and all the furniture were destroyed and laid in ashes: A significant indicator for us all to be diligent and to watch over the temple of our body and soul, rooting out the worm that creates havoc and causes the sin that leads to destruction. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By View the other two posts in this collection at: The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

mandy-bankson_strangers_se.jpg Loading Video . . . California artist Mandy Bankson responds to the theme of "Strangers" and Hebrews 13:2. Hebrews 13:2 Strangers By Mandy Bankson Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2014 40" x 30" Acrylic Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I chose this passage, on the theme of Strangers, because of an experience I had many years ago. Coming out of anesthesia after a major surgery, there were several nurses around my gurney, looking down at me. When I saw them, I saw each person as an individual gift. Their skin was like wrapping paper holding an extremely precious and unique treasure inside. I believe I was given a glimpse of what God sees when he looks at us with Love. God sees first not our faults and weaknesses, but our beauty, our creation in His image. This theme and this verse in particular, allowed me to honor the spiritual experience I had 20 years ago that continues to affect the way I see people around me. So much of each of us is hidden. And in what is hidden there is often a treasure to be discovered. We are called as God's friends, to be hospitable to that stranger, no matter who they are. Sometimes that is not easy; sometimes it is. But we are reminded in this verse of the mystery that is lurking when we allow ourselves to enter into God's kingdom and see as God sees. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Mandy Bankson was born in rural Indiana. Her mother was an artist and Mandy began drawing and painting as a young girl, attracted to patterns and design.. Although art was always on the periphery, she taught Special Education in the San Francisco bay area for many years. After marrying a widower with two young daughters and moving to Santa Rosa, CA , she began to paint more seriously. Mandy paints abstractly inspired by patterns of the natural world. However her most recent body of work is an abstract series based on Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-18). She started and continues to curate the Gallery at First, a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa. She is also involved in the gallery at The Journey Center, a Christ centered community. Mandy is an ARTrails Open Studio artist, and shows in Marin and Sonoma counties: her works are collected locally and internationally. More of her work can be viewed on her website www.mandybankson.net . Website Mandy Bankson About the Artist Mandy Bankson Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Dancer Helen Hale created this beautiful and contemplative dance piece in response to the theme of eavesdropping and Genesis 18:9-15. Genesis 18:9-15 One Long Adagio with Antenna Up By Helen Hale Credits: Artist Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Curated by: Elizabeth Dishman 2014 Dance, film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I imagine Abraham and the three men/the Lord picnicking at a distance. Maybe their vantage point is the opening image of this video, of the tree, far away. I imagine the Lord asking, “Where is your wife Sarah?” and Abraham saying, “There, in the tree.” I am curious about the way in which the Lord announces the promise of a son to Abraham, and not to Sarah. Rather than getting the news directly, she overhears it as she’s listening outside. God even asks Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh?” And only addresses Sarah when she denies her laughter, saying, “Yes, you did laugh.” For a long time I read into this passage a lack of intimacy, a kind of chiding, from the Lord to Sarah, but as I’ve paddled in the pool of this scripture I’ve come to imagine the Lord engaging in a romance with Sarah from a distance—an exchange of knowing looks from across the room. He doesn’t really need to ask anyone why Sarah laughed. He full well knows. He’s been anticipating her response to this absurdly unexpected news. In my interpretation, Sarah, in her moment of surprise and incredulity says, “What? After I am worn out from miles and miles and miles and years and years and years of dancing this adagio in the hot sun will I now have the pleasure of this mist on my face?” Furthermore, as it turns out, the Liszt composition I chose for the sound is entitled “Consolation.” I am certain Sarah needed much consoling along the road to ninety. My first name is Sarah, after this Sarah. Wildly enough, while working on this piece, I have received absurdly unexpected news that a door in my life that I thought was closed forever has been re-opened. Coincidence? Fulfillment of a promise that I’ve been moving toward while so often thinking it had disappeared, mirage-like, in the sweltering Heat of Life? Throughout Sarah’s long slow dance, the Lord so patiently awaits her arrival, and she so patiently moves towards Him with great longsuffering. He prompts her to laugh, and as she laughs, He joins her! –Sharing an undeniable joy from which new life is born. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Helen Hale is a choreographer and performer, and the director of Helen Hale Dance. Her work has been presented by The High Museum of Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, The Galleries at Moore, The Hambidge Center, Dance Truck, Dashboard Co-op, The Lucky Penny, BurnAway Magazine, MINT Gallery, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, and WonderRoot Community Arts Center, among others. Helen received a BFA from Temple University (PA) in 2009 and has performed with companies and choreographers around the country including Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, Staibdance, Dishman + Co., PushPush Theater, Tahni Holt, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, Duende Dance Theater, Meg Foley/Moving Parts, Troupe Hellas, and Ground Delivery Dance Theater. After a long period of research and collaboration with musicians and visual artists in Atlanta, Helen has returned to Philadelphia where she is currently reworking her one-woman show, Sanity Ceremonies, performing with Kun- Yang Lin/Dancers, and seriously committing to creative playtime in developing a new body of work with collaborator, Maggie Ginestra. Website Helen Hale About the Artist Helen Hale Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The Spark+Echo Band brings to life the wild imagery of Isaiah 6 in their lively song Ruined, featuring nimble flute and piano underscoring Isaiah's text. Isaiah 6 Ruined By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Six winged angels flying to your lips with a live coal, ravaged fields and ruined cities‚ÄìIsaiah 6 is full of dramatic imagery. It's a vivid story filled with uncertainty and atonement that takes some time to sink in. This is the text that inspired "Ruined." The recording is from the Spark+Echo Band's debut album. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

bookends_karen-swenholt.jpg Bookends_Wide-3-books_karen-swenholt.JPG Bookends_Wide-shot__karen-swenholt.JPG Bookends, "Radiohead" (detail) Bookends, "Not Listening" (detail) Loading Video . . . Sculptor Karen Swenholt brings her personal faith journey and an appreciation of the life and work of Edvard Munch to her reading of Zechariah 7:11 to produce this emotive work, "Bookends." Zechariah 7:11 Bookends By Karen Swenholt Credits: Curated by: Laurel Justice 2018 14 x 17 x 9 inches Terracotta, Bibles Sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link For me, life was a cacophony before I believed in God. It did not make sense. It was noise. I could not hear the melody lines, the beat, the structure—the point of it all—until I met God. Then harmony and peace were possible for me. With Bookends , I analogize God and His word to music. Radiohead hears God, responding to His music rapturously, snapping his fingers and gesturing with his right arm in response to beat and melody. Not Listening stops his ears and turns away. One would think the joy of Radiohead’s response to the music might intrigue his brother, but not so. Ironically Not Listening stops his own ears, claiming Radiohead also hears nothing and accuses Radiohead of delusion for apprehending the existence of God. In the world of Not Listening , Radiohead is mad. As I worked on Not Listening , I was struck that his facial structure resembles that of the figure in The Scream by Edvard Munch . Munch’s parents were committed Christians. His mother died young of tuberculosis, leaving him a beautiful plea/prayer in writing that her child find God. Munch’s early adulthood was very painful with bouts of drinking that verged on madness. He painted The Scream during that time. What is The Scream afraid to hear? That a God that controls the universe let his mother die? Isn’t it safer then, not to believe in God at all? That is why the torso of Not Listening is slashed. It reveals the man is hollow of life. He has been wounded. May God have mercy and reveal himself to the Not Listenings in the world and heal their wounds. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Karen Swenholt is a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia. After attending MICA and California College of the Arts, she continued studies at New York City’s New York Studio School and the Art League in Virginia. Influences from the West Coast’s Bay Area Figurative Movement combined with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast studies and origins to form the foundation of Swenholt’s work today. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures contrast with their grace, conveying emotion and movement. Karen Swenholt is presently the artist in residence at Convergence in Alexandria, Virginia. Her work can be found in many public and private collections including Cairn University in Philadelphia, Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C and churches across the U.S. and abroad. www.karenswenholt.com www.facebook.com/karenswenholtart Website Karen Swenholt About the Artist Heart for a Stone Karen Swenholt Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Emily Rose Hazel's work reflects on her experiences in Ghana while responding to the theme of "Harvest" and the passages of Exodus 16:2-4, 11-16, 31; Numbers 11:7-9; 1 Kings 17:1-16; Matt. 6:11-13, 25-27; and John 6:1-13 as she builds a poetry collection responding to every theme from the year as a 2013 Spark+Echo Artist in Residence. Exodus 16:2-4 Exodus16:11-16 Exodus 16:31 Numbers 11:7-9 1 Kings 17:1-16 Matt 6:11-13 Matt 6: 25-27 John 6:1-13 Give Us This Day By Emily Ruth Hazel Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 Poetry/Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The initial inspiration for this poem came to me more than eight years ago, when I was traveling in Ghana. While there, I had the opportunity to attend performances of several classic plays I had seen in the United States (including The Sound of Music and Grease). I loved seeing the different ways these stories were translated through another culture. That got me thinking about ways of reframing the familiar, looking at the same concepts through different cultural lenses. At the time, I was trying to eat vegetarian, which proved to be a challenge in Ghana. My nearly-daily diet consisted of rice and beans, sweet plantains, and life-changing pineapples and mangoes. My friends insisted that I try traditional Ghanaian fufu. In West and Central Africa (as well as parts of the Caribbean), fufu is a staple food, prepared by boiling starchy vegetables such as cassava root, yams, and/or plantains, which are then pounded until they have the consistency of dough. The traditional way to eat fufu is to pinch off a small portion with one's right hand, dip it into an accompanying soup or stew, and swallow it without chewing. It's a filling dish, and I was glad I tried it, although I returned to my standbys. Around then, I had a conversation with a Ghanaian friend about the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread," a line from the New Testament passage commonly called The Lord's Prayer. We were talking about how this verse wouldn't hit home in the same way for people for whom bread is not a staple food. Half-jokingly, my friend said that the Ghanaian cultural translation should be "Give us this day our daily fufu." That was the germ of the idea for this poem. I was reminded of that conversation when my exploration of biblical passages on the theme of Harvest led me to words about bread.Recently, my career transition to freelancing fulltime as a writer has had me thinking about miraculous provision, as in the biblical accounts of God providing manna—a mysterious, edible substance that covered the ground like frost each night when the Israelites were wandering in the desert. This was their "daily bread." While most of us would prefer to be promised a lifetime supply of bread upfront, often we aren't promised a year or even a month's worth, but simply a day's worth. That measure of uncertainty presses us to trust beyond what we can see and to be expectantly present in each day we are given. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Ruth Hazel is a poet, writer, and cross-pollinator who is passionate about diversifying the audience for poetry and giving voice to people who have been marginalized. Selected as the Honorary Poet for the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in Providence, Rhode Island, she presented a commissioned tribute to the Poet Laureate of Harlem in February of 2020. She is a two-time recipient of national Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prizes and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for a residency at The Hambidge Center in 2014. Her chapbook, Body & Soul (Finishing Line Press, 2005) , was a New Women’s Voices finalist. Emily’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, literary journals, and digital projects, including Kinfolks: A Journal of Black Expression and Magnolia: A Journal of Women’s Socially Engaged Literature. Her poetry has also been featured on music albums, in a hair salon art installation, and in a science museum exhibition. Emily has written more than twenty commissioned works for organizations, arts productions, social justice projects, and private clients. Currently, she is developing several poetry book manuscripts and writing lyrics for an original musical inspired by the life of the extraordinary singer and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson. A graduate of Oberlin College’s Creative Writing Program and a former New Yorker, she is now based in the Los Angeles area. EmilyRuthHazel.com Instagram: @EmilyRuthHazel Facebook.com/EmilyRuthHazel Website Emily Ruth Hazel About the Artist Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel Word of Mouth In the Wake of the Storm Circling the Waist of Wisdom Give Me a Name Homecoming Runaway Undressing Prayer Emily Ruth Hazel Other Works By Explore the other works composed throughout the year in Emily's poetry collection, created as a 2013 Artist in Residence. Explore her works created throughout the year: “In the Wake of the Storm” LIGHT AND DARKNESS (JANUARY 21, 2013) “Circling the Waist of Wisdom” FOOLS (APRIL 26, 2013) “Homecoming” DANCING (JUNE 27, 2013) “Runaway” LIES (AUGUST 8, 2013) “Give Us This Day” HARVEST (NOVEMBER 14, 2013) “Undressing Prayer” MEMORY (JANUARY 6, 2013) Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Artists in Residence spend a year developing and creating a major work in response to Scripture. Click on their names to view their projects. Current Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Arts seeks to develop and support communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and some internal changes, we decided to pause the Artist in Residency for a year so that we could regroup our resources. Our hope is to continue offering this opportunity in 2021. Previous Artists in Residence 2020 Sapient Soul, Marlanda Dekine (Poetry + Spoken Word) 2019 Lancelot Schaubert (Short Story) 2018 Elias Popa (Installation Art) 2017 Aaron Beaumont (Music), Lily Maase (Music) 2016 Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Art), Chris Knight (Film), Lauren Ferebee (Theatre), Stephanie Miracle (Dance) 2015 Benje Daneman (Music), Jason DaSilva (Film), Melissa Beck (Visual Art), Don Nguyen (Theatre), Christine Suarez (Dance), The Spark & Echo Band (Music) 2013 Nicora Gangi (Visual Art), Emily Ruth Hazel (Poetry) Related Information View More Art Make More Art Give us this day, however you slice it, thick or thin—let this be enough, at least until the sun, golden as an egg-brushed Chinese bun, rises again. View Full Written Work Give Us This Day by Emily Ruth Hazel Give us this day, however you slice it, thick or thin—let this be enough, at least until the sun, golden as an egg-brushed Chinese bun, rises again. Bring us the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday bread of life, the ordinary comfort that we crave: the constancy of cooking rice, the routine of rolling tortillas. Give the French their measure of heaven alongside every meal. Give Italians their pasta, Ethiopians injera, and Jamaicans coco bread. Give Pakistanis their chapatti and Southerners their biscuits. Give us couscous to satisfy the ache in our bellies, naan to mediate the fire in our mouths. Sustain us one calendar square at a time, through days that boil us down and pound us like cassava root until whatever stew we are in, we are like dough in your hand, as soft and stretchable as fufu. The days and years we wander in the wilderness, dependent on a promise, moving toward what seems to be a mirage of milk and honey, speak over us a grace that is more than words. Let even the winter sky be generous: let us wake to frosted flakes on the ground outside our windows, like the cereal you sent your children in the desert, the answer to their stomachs’ complaints itself named after a question— What is it?—Manna, silently arriving as faithfully as morning dew, in between dinners delivered as a hard rain of quail. Stories tell of divine provisions appearing in pairs: rolls and sardines, one boy’s lunch, feeding thousands of listeners on a hillside; ravens carrying bread and meat to a ravenous prophet riding out the drought in a rocky ravine; a widow’s last portion of flour and oil lasting as long as her mysterious houseguest stays. Listeners, prophets, and widows, we are hungry for surprises. Give us eyes to see potential in the smallest offerings, the driest seasons, the almost-empty jars. In the urban oven, when summer’s heat hovers and we are desperate for relief, may we be grateful whenever we breathe in— instead of the odor of ripening garbage— the scent of something holy: a bakery’s aroma reaching several city blocks. After praying for hope we can harvest, may we not be too preoccupied to notice, as we pass the community garden, the sunbursts of zucchini blossoms and the lazy, yellow squash lolling on the ground, primed for the picking. May we consider the sparrows that swoop across sidewalks, their fearless pace unchanging as they fly through chain link fences. These tiny birds gather what they must to build their nests, eat the seeds of found fruit and disperse them, need no silos for storing tomorrow’s concerns. They put no stock in corporate politics, are not consumed with working toward the next promotion. Sparrows have no pension plans. They simply trust there is always a picnic ending somewhere, a blanket of blessing ready to be shaken out. Give us that much faith, a thin space we can squeeze between our fingers. Give us, too, a taste of Wonder, baskets of leftovers, crumbs of miracles scattered like new constellations. Fill our empty pita pockets. Multiply our multigrain. Braid our lives together like a loaf of challah bread, and lead us not into temptation to rush the delicious. Help us be present with each other here in this day you have given us. When we gather, let us linger; let us learn to chew more slowly so as not to miss the flavor in the moments we share. Let us do this in remembrance of you, the carpenter boy next door turned man of sorrows, fisher of souls— like us, always waiting for the next bite. Close Loading Video . . . Give us this day, however you slice it, thick or thin—let this be enough, at least until the sun, golden as an egg-brushed Chinese bun, rises again. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Aliki Barnstone's bold poem challenges the roles and portrayals of women in response to 2 Kings 9:30-37. 2 Kings 9:30-37 So That They Shall Not Say, This Is Jezebel By Aliki Barnstone Please note: this work contains strong language and some graphic violence. Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts 2016 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As the child of a Greek mother, all my life I heard the stories of the gods and goddesses and was captivated. When I discovered the work of H.D. as a young poet, I found a poetic expression of my own understanding of continuity of faith. I wrote the introduction and notes for the readers’ edition of H.D.’s Trilogy , and that work made me particularly conscious of the ways that the stories and iconography of the gods and goddesses prefigure, coincide with, and live on in the Judeo-Christian tradition. In the second section of the first book of Trilogy , “The Walls Do Not Fall,” H.D. reveals: …gods always face two-ways so let us search the old highways for the true-rune, the right-spell, recover old values nor listen if they shout out your beauty, Isis, Aset or Astarte is a harlot; you are retrogressive, zealot, hankering after old flesh-pots… In my research, I discovered that Jezebel was probably a priestess of Astarte (and Baal), and was struck again by these lines of H.D.’s about the feminine element, the goddesses becoming “flesh-pots” in patriarchal monotheism. The portrayal of Jezebel in the bible is consistent with the demonization and erasure of women and feminine godheads. Astarte’s divinity encompasses fertility, wisdom, health, magic, healing, death, rebirth, marriage, and more. She is associated with wisdom or Sophia. Her sacred symbol is the dove. She is thought to be Yahweh’s feminine aspect or Shekinah, which becomes the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Isis is the Hellenized form of “Aset” or “Astarte,” the goddess who prefigures the Virgin Mary. I call her the Mother God and use Isis’s name in my poem instead of Astarte’s because, as H.D. shows, the depictions of Isis suckling her son Horus carry forward in the Christian iconography of Mary and the baby Jesus. Another connection between the stories is that Jezebel’s son was murdered, as Christ was. Just as H.D. found solace in the feminine divine, so, too, did Emily Dickinson, as in the following poem: Sweet Mountains – Ye tell Me no lie – Never deny Me – Never fly – Those same unvarying Eyes Turn on Me – when I fail – or feign, Or take the Royal names in vain – Their far – slow – Violet Gaze – My Strong Madonnas – Cherish still – The Wayward Nun – beneath the Hill – Whose service – is to You – Her latest Worship – When the Day Fades from the Firmament away – To lift Her Brows on You – Dickinson frequently alludes to Greek mythology as a more gentle spirituality than the Calvinist Christianity of nineteenth century New England with which she was raised. Here is the poem in full that I quote in my poem: The Bible is antique volume Written by faded men At the suggestion of the Holy Spectres – Subjects – Bethlehem – Eden – the ancient Homestead – Satan – the brigadier – Judas – the great Defaulter – David – the Troubadour – Sin – a distinguished Precipice Others must resist – Boys that “believe” are very lonesome – Other boys are “lost” – Had but the tale a warbling Teller – All the boys would come – Orpheus’ sermon captivated – It did not condemn. I have been profoundly distressed about this election in which white supremacists are supporting a fascist with vulgar hate speech. The work I did for my edition of H.D.’s Trilogy heightens my awareness of the use and misuse of names, particularly the names of female deities. When politicians (not President Obama) and those in the media call the terrorist group ISIS, I, along with others, consider such an appellation misogynistic and racist, as offensive as if people called Daesh “MOSES” or “JESUS.” Since 2000, Isis has been in the top 1000 girl names. Girls and women named Isis are being objectified and bullied because of their name. Just as calling a woman “a Jezebel” is a way of demeaning her as a whore, a schemer, and evil, so too, now, the name of brown-skinned goddess of love and nurturance has been cruelly transformed into an epithet of hate and terror. (Since my poem deals with a woman and women, I’m mostly focusing here on iterations of misogynistic tropes against the feminine aspect of the divine and women in general, but this language extends to all kinds of bigotry.) As I’ve indicated, this hate worship has its roots, sadly, in the scriptures and in patriarchal interpretations. Jezebel is fully erased, so that women are socialized to believe that if they take power and if they speak out, they will be labeled “harlot” and will be punished, even in death, without the dignity of a burial. The mob calls for Secretary Clinton’s imprisonment and assassination. She has committed no crime except being a woman, who happens to be one of the most accomplished persons in the world, seeking the most powerful position on Earth. The hate speech directed at Clinton has its sources in the characterization of such outspoken and intelligent biblical women as Jezebel. The intent of these stories is to effectively terrorize girls and women into submission and silence, so I thought I’d tell a different story. I am a Christian (as Emily Dickinson and H.D. were in their own ways). Like Dickinson and H.D., I do not take the sum-total of the Judeo-Christian tradition to be a merely binary theology made up of good and evil, saved and damned, faithful and infidel. Instead, I share with my foremothers a more inclusive vision that venerates all expressions of the divine, including the wisdom, justice, kindness, peace, grace, and love in feminine divinity and power. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aliki Barnstone , is a poet, translator, critic, editor, and visual artist. She is the author of eight books of poetry: The Real Tin Flower (Crowel-Collier, 1968), Windows in Providence (Curbstone, 1981), Madly in Love (Carnegie-Mellon, 1997), Wild With It (2002), Blue Earth (Iris Press, 2004), Dear God Dear, Dr. Heartbreak: New and Selected Poems (Sheep Meadow, 2009), Bright Body (White Pine, 2011), and Dwelling (Sheep Meadow, 2016). She translated The Collected Poems of C.P. Cavafy: A New Translation (W.W. Norton, 2006). Her first book of poems, The Real Tin Flower (Crowell-Collier, 1968), was published when she was 12 years old, with a forward by Anne Sexton. In 2014, Carnegie-Mellon University Press reissued her book, Madly in Love , as a Carnegie-Mellon Classic Contemporary. She has edited A Book of Women Poets from Antiquity to Now (Schocken, 1980; 2nd edition, 1992) and the Shambhala Anthology of Women’s Spiritual Poetry (Shambhala, 2002). Her literary critical work includes writing the introductions and readers’ notes for H.D.’s Trilogy , co-editing The Calvinist Roots of the Modern Era , and her study, Changing Rapture: The Development of Emily Dickinson’s Poetry (University Press of New England, 2007). With musician Frank Haney, she recorded a CD, Wild Wind . Her visual art has appeared in New Letters and Tiferet , and illustrates and is the cover art for Elizabeth Cohen’s Bird Light (St. Julian Press, 2016). Among her awards are a Senior Fulbright Fellowship in Greece, the Silver Pen Award from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame, a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry, and a residency at the Anderson Center at Tower View. She is Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Missouri and serves as poet laureate of Missouri. Website Aliki Barnstone About the Artist Aliki Barnstone Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art The one who tells the story has power to erase a story, a nation, a faith “so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel, ”Phoenician princess who became Queen of Israel. View Full Written Work So That They Shall Not Say, This Is Jezebel by Aliki Barnstone 1 The one who tells the story has power to erase a story, a nation, a faith, “so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel,” Phoenician princess who became Queen of Israel. So that a woman shall not speak, a woman shall not have power to tell the story. 2 Emily Dickinson wrote “The Bible is an antique Volume Written by faded men.” Skilled at the artful smear such men make a Queen faithful to her own a harlot, a fleshpot, a despot. 3 He looms behind her as she speaks, taunts her for daring to lead. 4 The King of Greed rants she is pushy, brags he grabs pussy, rapes a child, lies every 196 seconds, fact-checkers reckon. 5 The teachings say she was a dominating wife, with “force of intellect and will,” and none of the “nobler feminine qualities” of selflessness. 6 Faded men with faded skin, evolved from migrating North, away from sunlight and warmth, away from the Mother God brown-skinned Isis, whose name they disgrace, make a terror curse— Isis, friend of slaves and artisans, icon of the icon of Mother and Child. 7 After her son was murdered, knowing she, too, would be killed, Queen Jezebel dressed, arranged her hair, and lined her eyes with kohl, prepared herself for the grave where she would never be lain. Her last question: “Does he have peace, who slays his Lord?” 8 His answer: “Throw her down!” Pushed out the high window, adorned in a gold embroidered and tasseled hyacinth gown, her blood splashed on her palace wall and on her assassins’ horses. “He trode her under foot” till he was king and he left his Queen’s corpse to be eaten by dogs, except the skull, feet, and palms. 9 “And her carcass shall be as dung on the field… so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel,” write the faded men who deem their story the Word of the Lord. Close Loading Video . . . The one who tells the story has power to erase a story, a nation, a faith “so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel, ”Phoenician princess who became Queen of Israel. Download Full Written Work