Oil Monster Katrina Zezza Loading Video . . . Artist and theologian Katrina Ross illuminates the timeless words of Revelation 13:1-2 with a lens of today's potential context. Revelation 13:1-2 Oil Monster By Katrina Ross Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Pen + Photoshop Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Illuminating this passage was challenging for me, because of how it has been used to terrorize and demonize groups of people, but I chose it because I've always loved drawing giant monsters. There are a variety of interpretations for the "beasts" described in the Book of Revelation, but it is widely thought that the beasts are meant to represent religious and economic powers within society which persuade people to pledge their allegiance to institutional powers, often at the expense of what is good and right. In its original context, the beast of the sea was likely a subversive reference to the imperial cult of Rome and specifically Emperor Nero who was a notoriously brutal and unjust persecutor. However, this story has found its way into the narrative of other battles and culture wars since. As with most Bible stories, Revelation can be used to justify almost any worldview. The beast can become whatever you find most threatening or what you see as the greatest evil of our time, but I think it is important to keep God's faithfulness in mind as we interpret scripture. I find it especially troubling when the beast is said to represent marginalized groups because this text was written to give people hope for justice in the face of institutionalized cruelty, not to further subjugate the powerless. Lately, I've been thinking about how theology is used to uphold unjust systems of power. For our context, I think the beast of the sea would more appropriately symbolize wealth inequality, systemic injustice and corporate greed. The seven heads of the beast, said to be seven emperors who formed the Roman Empire, might today be the seven "supermajors" of Big Oil whose influence disproportionately controls political and economic direction worldwide. I think this story, found in the Book of Revelation, is about God's witness to the oppressive forces in our world, which will be overcome in God's time and with our compassionate action. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Katrina Ross is currently an M.Div student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and she has also worked as a freelance graphic designer and artist for many years. She draws things using ink, water-based paints and digital applications. Katrina’s inspiration is often derived from things she thinks she saw, or symbols that want to be reconfigured. She tries to avoid explicit narrative to leave room for a range of experiences, because your contribution as the viewer is central to the meaning. Website: katrinaross.net Blog: katrinaross.blogspot.com Website Katrina Ross About the Artist Samuel and Time Travel Katrina Ross Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This intimate poem by multi-disciplinary artist Adrienne Oliver invites the reader to explore love through patience and constancy in response to 2 Peter 3:8-10. 2 Peter 3:8-10 Child of Promise By Adrienne Oliver Credits: Curated by: Laura Eve Engel + Rebecca Testrake 2018 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link There is a patience in devotion; a giving not just of one’s self, but of one’s time. Devotion is enduring and unwavering, constant in its endless generosity, drawing strength not from the heart really, but from the subject of the heart’s attachment. Motherhood is faithful, and here the faithful are called to do as mothers do: devote one’s whole self, body and soul, with trust. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Adrienne Oliver is a performer, educator, and writer. Her work explores the intersection of the mundane and magical. Through memoirs and multi-modal explorations, she seeks to highlight the nuance and performance of both woman and motherhood. Her essays and poetry have been featured in several digital publications and journals as well as Tribe de Mama, The Village Magazine, Parents Magazine, and Mama, Bare . She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her daughter, Pearl. Website Adrienne Oliver About the Artist Adrienne Oliver Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. View Full Written Work Child of Promise By Adrienne Oliver Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. heart in hand, padding hallways, a small penance for sudden constancy. steady fervor scuttles me ever forward. breath builds, and laps over memories. echoing might rings, as a thousand bells. until, as the dawn, you break me sneaking ambush of spirit. and the heaving sky will bear you earthside, and we and you and I and this deafening world will melt in the fires of love until forever. Idling champion of my redesign, I am awakened. Close Loading Video . . . Beloved, sweet mystery of patience, summation of these thousand silent vows. suspended in promises divine, shrouded in your permanence, I remain. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Filmmaker Victor Carrera has created this meditative response to Lamentations 2:18. Lamentations 2:18 TEARS By Victor Carrera Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Selected from Artist Submissions 2015 Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Day and night there is a vivid lament at the heart of God. Sometimes the lament is soft, other times is loud. It is never cold, but is always pure. A Bride cries an infinity cry. Her tears fall over the wall of Zion. She asked God, "How it is called the waterfall?" He replayed, 'The Cry of the Bridge.' God employs tears to calm the Bride. She ends her cry at the Heart of God. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Victor Carrera’s greatest passions are God, youth ministries, evangelism, and beautiful art. He has experience in lecturing and teaching in Bible, Story and Film, in mentoring writers and discipleship, and in producing inspirational content with images, sounds and words. He is the founder and Creative Executive of Kingdoministry -Hope. A project in its 4th edition, in which creativity, academics and other initiatives come to live: www.kingdoministry.org Website Victor Carrera About the Artist Victor Carrera 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 phrase kept repeating in my mind: “he set his face like a flint” Exodus 28:1-5 Exodus 28:29-30 Proverbs 19:20-21 Isaiah 50:6-8 Hebrews 12:2 Romans 7:15 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 2 By Melissa Beck Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 Installation, Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link June 22, 2015 The phrase kept repeating in my mind: “he set his face like a flint” It kept speaking at me, though I didn’t know exactly what it meant. Even so, I adopted it into my thinking, and let it guide me in all I was doing. I imagined myself not being swayed by emotion, but staying the course because determination was stronger. I realized I had been letting disappointment get the best of me without even realizing it. I was in a strange place in life with little motivation but still strong dreams. I had prayed endlessly for some direction in my art endeavors and for a job, but, after so many tries and no success, I felt that my prayers and efforts had gone stale. However, I came to see that responding to the feeling of being stale was a form of giving up and being disappointed. I knew there had to be a better way to respond to these setbacks, even if they indeed were my reality. After chewing on this phrase, I found myself emailing my mom: “I didn’t even know exactly what it meant, but I thought it meant focused, going after the goal whatever the cost, literally making your face like a strong stone that can’t be moved (I guess that’s what “flint” is..? Not to be confused with “lint”…haha! definitely not the same thing).” Although humorous, this contrast of flint and lint was a clear picture of what I was thinking about. Lint is just excess; it is unstable and unnecessary in life. However, at the same time, it is inevitable. Lint is in every nook and cranny of our lives, and, even if we vacuum under the couch, wash our clothes, or clear out the dryer filter, lint will appear again. It floats in the air, visible in certain lights, invisible in others, ever changing its form. I thought about how I can be this way, that I tend to look around without focus, shifting like bits of lint in the air, unsure of what form I want to take. When I read this verse, I realized that setting my face like flint is something I have to do intentionally. Lint just happens, but a face like flint is something that is “set”–it is developed, crafted, and refined over time. So, for this piece, I set out to do a challenging work: I set out to make a pair of glasses. I wanted both the process of creating this piece and the piece itself to reflect this relationship of lint and flint. Bits of lint would be mixed into the resin that would set to hard, usable frames. I would then get lenses made in my prescription to fit the frame, so they could be usable eyeglasses, literally and metaphorically making my “face set like a flint.” Making glasses frames was something I’ve never done before, but that had never stopped me from taking on a project before. I was determined to create these and present it here as my second piece for Spark and Echo, so I did some research, met with a professional mold maker/former professor, and got to work. However, my attempts left me in a sticky mess (literally) and more complications than I want to go into here. I didn’t have a plan B except to abandon it, which I still could … But what was this piece about from the beginning anyway? I knew I still believed in the concept and the verse. And I knew that determination has to keep going even when I don’t feel determined. Therefore, as much as I would rather just not keep trying, I am going to. For this year-long residency, I’m exploring what it looks like to be committed to something, and sometimes that looks like wanting to give up. I think that’s okay to sit in that for a time. Perhaps this post, this in-progress part is more about the lint and less about the flint, more about the effort and process of “setting” our faces like flint rather than what it looks like when it’s polished and ready. To get to that place, to set our faces in flint, it often takes more time than we expect, even when we plan well and are overflowing with determination. In the end, I wanted to present a nicely finished piece, but instead I’m sharing a rough draft, the failed attempts, the linty in-between part that might not seem that impressive. However, these are all a vital part. The multiple attempts that failed give greater significance and meaning to something when it finally does succeed. I know this is nothing new, for every human is linty and failed. We all must believe that failures are not the end of the story, nor should we make them to be. So stay tuned, this piece and the journey is not finished yet. Flint and Lint, Melissa Beck Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Melissa Beck ’s work explores elements of the everyday redefining the familiar in unexpected ways so as to reawaken our eyes to what is often overlooked. She is an emerging artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Melissa grew up in Los Angeles and San Diego. She achieved her MFA in sculpture at Pratt Institute and graduated in 2013. Her dream is to create large-scale public artwork and to become an art professor. When Melissa isn’t making art, life for her consists of freelance sewing and display work, nanny-ing, dancing, laughing with her friends, visiting the California sun and taking life one step at a time with her Creator. Website Melissa Beck About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 1 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Part 4 Artist in Residence 2015: Melissa Beck Breadth Melissa Beck Other Works By View Melissa's first , third , fourth and final posts to follow the development of her 2015 Artist in Residence project. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Dancer and choreographer Christine Suarez presents her final post on her project, Dancing the Book of Ruth, created as a 2015 Artist in Residence. Ruth 1:16-17 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez By Christine Suarez Credits: Title: Dancing the Book of Ruth Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2015 2015 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It is bittersweet to submit my final post on my project. It has been a beautiful journey. And I am so grateful to share it and be supported in this way. On August 29, we performed Dancing the Book of Ruth for a generous audience at 1450 Ocean/Camera Obscura in Santa Monica, CA. It was truly a satisfying culmination of my residencies with Spark and Echo Arts and 1450 Ocean/Camera Obscura. Our performance ran about 45 minutes. I was so pleased to have collaborated with dancers, Carol McDowell and Rebeca Hernandez. A quick re-cap of my process: I was drawn to the Book of Ruth because of the story and relationship between Ruth and Naomi. I identify with Naomi's depth of desperation and feeling that God had forsaken her. I am inspired by Ruth's unshakable faith and hope. And together they do something that no other Biblical women do: they reshape what a family is and how women are supposed to behave. For this manifestation of the work I designed it in part as a site-specific piece and in part as a lecture-demonstration. It was important to me for the audience to experience the real landscape of the location and to see the work from different perspectives. It was also important to me to tell the story while also sharing our creative process. I ended up writing my own version of the story. I quote the Book of Ruth directly twice. The first with Ruth's speech to Naomi: "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." Like I do with most of my work, I try to infuse it with some humor. After I quoted Ruth's speech, I looked at the audience and said, "Can you imagine feeling that way to your mother-in-law?" The second passage I quote is what Naomi says upon her homecoming arrival in Bethlehem: "'Don't call me Naomi,' she told them. 'Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.'" Our video shows how we were inspired by a series of paintings that capture the moment of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi. I had the paintings up on our studio wall throughout our process. We used these images as a source for movement material. We then manipulated the shapes by moving them through space, changing speed and spatial relationships. We morphed these paintings to reflect how these women reconfigured their ideas of themselves. We also played with patterns in space to represent how these two women navigate the cultural structure, which they lived – how they both continued on with their lives together though with great uncertainty. To end the work, we developed a series of improvisation structures to embody different aspects of Naomi and Ruth. Our audience was an interesting cross section of people – all were particularly interested in the Book of Ruth. Some of whom I imagine would not normally be interested in dance-theater had it not been for the subject matter. I love that so much! We had a lot of interesting conversations post-performance about Ruth and her motives – about Naomi and how despite her loses still had a plan for survival. What was most interesting to me was to hear how important this text is to both Christian and Jewish people. In attendance were both a Rabbi and a Roman Catholic priest along with other religious people. I had interesting conversations about how this work could live in churches and synagogues. Or how I could use the structure of the piece to work with congregations to create a new version of it. It was very exciting. I plan on continuing to work on this project in 2016. I would like to investigate further how to relate to the text. How can the performers and myself be in dialogue with these ancient Biblical women? I am curious about new entry points into the story and these women's lives. I appreciate any thoughts or reflections. Email me at info@suarezdance.org . Thanks! Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Christine Suarez is a Los Angeles-based choreographer, performer and educator. Born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Baton Rouge Louisiana, Christine made her first works of choreography to the Grease soundtrack. Since then she has created eleven evening-length dance-theater works, numerous site-specific and community events and close to a dozen dances for the theater and film, along with teaching, creating and performing at school sites all over the U.S. While living in New York City from 1994-2006, her work was presented at various venues including Danspace Project, P.S. 122, HERE, Joyce SoHo and Dixon Place. In 1998 she founded SuarezDanceTheater, a not-for-profit, ensemble of dancers, actors and musicians. SuarezDanceTheater examines the unexpected – creating dance-theater in unexpected places with unexpected people about unexpected subjects. Christine and company were Artists in Residence at Tribeca Performing Arts Center from 2003-2006. Her work has toured nationally and internationally to over 20 cities. Her work happens in theaters, houses, parks, Churches, galleries, sidewalks and beaches. She collaborates with multi-generational performers along with parents, children, veterans, high school students and teen mothers. Since relocating to Los Angeles, she has been invigorated by making dances in unexpected places. Wet Spots (2008) was a site-specific performance about female orgasm that she created in collaboration with a multi-generational cast of women. The Los Angeles Times called it “ingeniously crafted…poignant…hilarious.” She has organized community dance participatory performances in parks, beaches and classrooms in partnership with city governments, community based organizations and schools. She has also been touring Wet Spots: Solo to Tallinn, Estonia, Movement Research at Judson Church (New York City), The Garage (San Francisco), Emory University (Atlanta, GA), The A.W.A.R.D. Show! (REDCAT). Most recently she premiered her new evening length work MOTHER . at the Motion Pacific at the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival and Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, CA. As an educator, Christine has worked at public schools all over the New York City and Los Angeles area. She has been a guest teacher/choreographer at California State University San Marcos, California State University Los Angeles, Emory University, Indiana University, Southeastern University of Louisiana and Louisiana State University. She holds an MFA in choreography from UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures Department and a BA in Theater and English Literature from Emory University. She is a government contractor co-creating a dance program for Veterans at The School for Better Living, a psycho-social research initiative a the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. She also works as a teaching artist with the HeArt Project. She has been awarded grants from the Center for Cultural Innovation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Puffin Foundation, Meet the Composer, the Association for Hispanic Arts, JP Morgan Chase Regrant, the Field and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center. She is honored to be a Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Cheech Marin Endowed Scholarship Scholar and recipient of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund McNamara Family Creative Arts Projects Grant. (Photo by CedarBough Saeji) www.suarezdance.org Website Christine Suarez About the Artist Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 2 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 3 Artist in Residence 2015: Christine Suarez Part 1 The joy of our heart has ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning. Christine Suarez Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Christine's project by reading her first , second , and third post written over the course of the year. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Filmmaker Tien Chi Fu chose the passage Ezekiel 47:9 to reflect on for his film centering on Spark and Echo Arts' Summer 2012 theme, "Water," and its ability to refresh us -- both literally and metaphorically. Ezekiel 47:9 Into the Living Water By Tien Chi Fu Credits: Curated by: The Leiser Brothers 2012 Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This short is made to honor the Lord our God, His creation, and the Holy Spirit. We, as humans, tend to do many things on our own resulting in our lives becoming separate to the way of the Lord. The water indicates life and the Holy Spirit both in the Bible and in this short. The characters in this film are both close to water yet away from the Lord. The diver walks past the East River everyday and he teaches people how to dive, but he is so used to his everyday life and he no longer remembers what it's like to be under the sea of God's abundant love. The dancer encounters so many failures in his life and he considers the water his enemy. He is so far away from the Lord that he is close to death -- humanity's destination. Somehow God is still doing his amazing work among us. At that very moment, they are both touched by that love that would not let us go. They start to remember God's wonderful creation and His immeasurable love. Our lives will only flourish when we come back and submit our lives to the Lord. We should follow God all the way into the water and testify of His wonderful creation. There will be no issues, obstacles or defeats. Our God is a faithful God. When we dwell in His life, we will be refreshed and able to witness His wonders. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Tien Chi Fu is a New York based writer/director/cinematographer. Tien was born in Taipei. His father is a playwright and greatly influenced Tien’s work. Tien grew up in a Christian family but not until age 20 did he receive Jesus Christ as his savior and get baptized. Tien attended Sun Yat-Sen University majoring in Theatre Arts; here he spent two years learning theatre techniques with a focus on acting and directing. In his sophomore year, he formed a Drama Club and produced a traditional Chinese crosstalk play with several friends. The many dominant drama theories he learned then became the foundation of his creative works. Following that, he moved to the United States because his true passion is in film. He took a gap year to work full time to save for tuition. He then got his associate degree in Radio/TV in Pennsylvania and got into New York University’s Film & TV department. His black & white film All Tomorrow’s Films is a story of Adam and Eve mingled with the transition between the analog and the digital era. He is now working on his thesis film “George Goforth and the Greatest Generation”. Website Tien Chi Fu About the Artist The Long Trip Tien Chi Fu Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet Phil Memmer's poem "How Many Shapes Must a God Take?" is a response to Exodus 3:2-4 and the theme of “stranger”. Exodus 3:2-4 How Many Shapes Must a God Take? By Phillip Memmer Credits: Location: Upstate New York Curated by: Hayan Charara 2014 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The offer to work with the Spark and Echo project came at an interesting, complicated time for me… I had not completed a poem in well over a year and a half, and while I was reasonably sure about what sort of poems I wanted to try to write next, I was completely baffled by how to go about it. In my last two books, I had written dozens of poems that used Biblical characters, or addressed a god figure through psalms, in order to explore my own spiritual concerns. At some point in early 2013, it occurred to me that I’d done enough talking to and about god: it was time for me to allow him/her to speak. I identify as an agnostic, but I was raised in an evangelical Protestant family. Oddly enough, though, I spend far more time pondering the nature of the divine now than I ever did in my church-at-least-twice-a-week youth. The Creator is the ultimate “Stranger” when one does not hold a particular faith. This particular tension is what gave rise to “How Many Shapes Must a God Take?” In my own spiritual history, god needed to vanish in order for me to seek him; she needed to be silent if I was to cup a hand to my ear. And while this poem was written more or less in the order it now appears on the page, and took its initial impulse from the “Burning Bush” story in Exodus (along with images from other religious and mythological traditions), I believe I somehow understood its conclusion before I reached it. Upon completing the poem, I felt “the surprise of remembering something I didn’t know I knew,” as Robert Frost once said. I also realized something I hadn’t previously understood about these new poems: that they are not simply poems in which “god speaks”… they are poems in which “god speaks to me.” And while that sounds dangerously like talking to oneself, I hope they move beyond that and speak to others as well. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Philip Memmer is the author of four books of poems, most recently The Storehouses of the Snow: Psalms, Parables and Dreams (Lost Horse Press, 2012). His previous collections include Lucifer: A Hagiography, winner of the 2008 Idaho Prize for Poetry from Lost Horse Press, and Threat of Pleasure (Word Press, 2008), winner of the 2008 Adirondack Literary Award for Poetry. His poems have appeared in such journals as Poetry, Poetry Northwest, Poetry London, Southern Poetry Review, and Epoch, and in several anthologies. His work has also been featured in the Library of Congress’ Poetry 180 project, and in Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry syndicated column. He lives in a rural village in upstate New York, and works as Executive Director of the Arts Branch of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse, where he founded the YMCA’s Downtown Writers Center in 2001. He also serves as Associate Editor for Tiger Bark Press. Website Phillip Memmer About the Artist Phillip Memmer Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art How many shapes must a god take to attract your notice? I tried them all View Full Written Work How Many Shapes Must a God Take? by Phillip Memmer Exodus 3:2-4 How many shapes must a god take to attract your notice? I tried them all–- I came as sunlight through clouds, as a moon full and unobstructed, as fire and various things afire. I came as a man bent with age, a woman hardened by war. I came to you as each sort of animal, and as trees, and the lily, and the rose. As a mountain I came to you, as the sea, as stars over vast distances arranged in suggestive shapes. Nothing worked-– though I came to you with three faces, with one hundred hands, a woman’s frown upon the body of a lion, an elephant’s smile on the body of a man. Though I came as wealth and as famine, as thunder and as drought, nothing–-nothing lifted your gaze, though you claimed to seek me. And I despaired… And in my despair I ripped out my hundred arms, tore off my thousand masks, let cool my fires beyond counting. I came to you as darkness and silence. …And you, so enamored of absence: now you see me. Now at last you hear. Close Loading Video . . . How many shapes must a god take to attract your notice? I tried them all Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Author A.J. Kandathil crafted this short story inspired by the theme of "Lies" from Genesis 29:20-25, the story in which Jacob marries Leah. Genesis 29:20-25 Leah Wrestles with God By AJ Kandathil Credits: Curated by: Emily Ruth Hazel 2013 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link When I chose “lies” as the theme I’d be working with, it took some time to settle on a certain passage, as the Bible is littered with liars. There’s the moment when Abraham denies that Sarah is his wife because he fears the consequences, then there’s the lying serpent, and of course there’s also Peter’s famed denial of Christ, just to name a few. But I decided to focus on the story of Jacob, Laban, and Leah because Jacob was someone God undeniably favored, despite his tendency to use and deceive people (and, therefore, to be used and deceived). Although I chose to tell the story from the perspective of Jacob’s first wife, Leah, I can identify with Jacob as well—with his propensity for twisting God’s arm, with the ambition that defines him. In the Bible’s account, the story belongs to Jacob, and he is—by many measures—a hero. But what of the people who became little more than detritus on his journey to father the nations? What of the wife he didn’t love? Though the traditional American ideal of the biblical “hero” can lean toward the simplistic, I prefer the ancient Greek notion of the hero, one that’s much more troubled, and thankfully, much more human. The Greek hero has the capability to hurt those he’s meant to protect, and even those he loves. In the often told story of Jacob’s wrestling match with God, we know the outcome. Jacob wrestles with God for His blessing, and he gets it, though he walks away with a limp that will last the rest of his life. But what isn’t often talked about is the fact that Jacob got to wrestle with God. The very notion suggests an equality between partners, an occasion for an intimate fight, as one sometimes engages in with a beloved. Can you imagine it? Having that kind of access? Much of the women’s inner lives in the Bible are excluded from scripture. Even if we don’t know much about Leah other than her role in the master narrative, God knows the smallest details of Leah’s life—her secrets, her disappointments, her triumphs. In some ways, Leah’s whole life may have been a wrestling match with God. Who’s to say? So this is my imagined account of it, told from Leah’s point of view. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection A.J. Kandathil is a Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has appeared in Burner Magazine, Newfound Journal, Hippocampus, and The Tottenville Review. She currently writes about the cross-sections between literature and television for Ploughshares , and she is at work on her first book. You can find her on Twitter at @ajkandathil. Website AJ Kandathil About the Artist AJ Kandathil Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art If I could, I'd wrestle with God over one truth in my life: my father had to lie to get me a husband. View Full Written Work LEAH WRESTLES WITH GOD by A.J. Kandathil If I could, I’d wrestle with God over one truth in my life: my father had to lie to get me a husband. My father, Laban as he was known, thought if he got his nephew Jacob drunk enough, if it was late enough, and if my face was veiled enough, Laban could fool him into mistaking one daughter for the other. That’s who I was then—the other daughter. I was older, but Rachel had the kind of beauty that put her ahead of me in every way. For seven years, I’d watched my sister steal secret moments with Jacob. You could feel the spark between them all the way on the other side of our fields. Jacob had always been kind to me, but it was a selfish kindness, a tool to get what he was after. And that was my sister. I was jealous—of course I was. Snaring men had always been so easy for Rachel. I never felt anything but invisible in her company, and I knew I wasn’t beautiful enough to catch Jacob’s eye. I’d also always known that my father was shrewd—just as shrewd as Jacob turned out to be. There wasn’t any ceremony. There were no vows. This was what marriage was: an agreement between two men. When Laban came to me the night of the feast, even I was shocked at his cunning. His plan to exchange my sister for me under cover of darkness seemed like a curse. Had I waited so long to be married only to be yoked to a man who was fooled into my bed? “Jacob didn’t work seven years for me,” I said as my father led me away from the crowd. “He worked for Rachel.” Unaware, my sister threaded her way through the dense clot of guests. She was happy; she still thought this night was for her . Only from a distance could I see how this ignorance adulterated her impenetrable beauty. The party was loud and lit by fire, a blazing star in an empty expanse of farmland. That was our home—open space that stretched beyond our ability to see it, with enough secret spaces to hide so no one could hear you laugh or cry. My father didn’t flinch at my words. Instead, he waved his arm in dismissal. “He won’t even know it’s you until morning, and by then it will be too late,” he said. The farther we got from the feast, the more we hurried. It was already late, and Jacob was waiting in his tent. I’d need to be inside it before my father told Rachel what he’d done.Wait one week, he’d tell his daughter to quell her anger. Let your older sister have one week, then you can marry him, too. Laban had me by the wrist, and I could feel my fingers swelling beneath his grasp. What was he going to do? Throw me at the feet of his nephew? I couldn’t stand the humiliation of it. I might not have been beautiful, but I still had my good sense. I stopped just short of the tent where Jacob had intended to spend the night with my sister. Laban’s arm petrified like a piece of stone. Even though I looked for his eyes in the dark, I couldn’t find them. I wouldn’t ask him if he knew what he was doing. Of course he did. After a minute of silence, he loosened his grip. My father turned toward me and rested his hand on my back, just as he used to do when I was a girl and afraid of the deepest part of the water on the far end of our land. Even then, he’d pushed. “Don’t you want to be married?” Laban asked me. Before he’d been urgent. Now he sounded weary. He’d asked those words, but they didn’t form a true question. If I didn’t marry Jacob, then I’d either never wed, or I’d be wed to an outsider who might take me away. This was the only home I knew, and I didn’t want to leave it. In that brief moment, I saw my father’s deceit for what it might have been—a kindness to me, his eldest daughter, who had always been overlooked. Even he thought of me as the other sister. I’d never find a husband like Jacob on my own, and my father knew it. It was this kindness, even in its deceitful cradle, that undid the tangles of my integrity. This action, for better or worse, would hold our family together. I took a timid step toward Jacob’s tent, and I touched my father’s cloak. “Don’t do this,” I almost said. Almost. The truth was–I did want to be married. But to take what belonged to my sister? That was cruel, even though I’d been forced to share everything with Rachel since the day she was born. She was tireless with her own desire. “If I don’t have that blanket, I’ll just die ,” she’d say during the colder season, or “If I don’t get that apple, I’ll just die .” Rachel had ways of getting what she wanted. That was something she’d learned from our father. “Hurry, now. Hurry.” Laban’s words covered me just like the veil he placed over my head. So I stepped into Jacob’s tent and waited for him to turn toward me. I don’t need to tell you how my heart pounded. I was sure everyone at the feast could feel its vibrations. When Jacob reached for me, I smiled beneath my veil as I reached back. For one week, just one week, I wouldn’t have to share. My wedding night was the best and worst night of my life. I felt beautiful. I felt worthy. Most of all, I felt like myself. A miracle occurred: I was not my sister, and for once, Jacob could not tell the difference. For a moment, I was happy. But by dawn of the next day, the rest of my life began. Just before Jacob opened his eyes, he sighed and rubbed his head. I could tell he had a bad hangover. When he opened his eyes and the previous night’s haze dissipated, he looked confused. Was I Leah and not Rachel, his beloved for whom he’d slaved for seven years? How had he ended up in the wrong tent? I watched the realization of truth creep over him, like a sunrise over the mountains. Laban, his own flesh and blood, had played a dirty trick on him. I was the dirty trick. Jacob didn’t say a word, and he didn’t even try to hide his disappointment. The recognition was devastating for us both. From that morning forward, I started to pay the price of being seen . Before, Jacob had just disregarded me, and now he looked at me with contempt. He couldn’t see who I was. He could only see who I wasn’t. And Rachel’s wrath was even worse. She was used to getting her way, as the pretty ones always are. Do you think I wanted this? I wanted to scream at her. For my husband to be in love with you? But she would never understand that I was the kind of girl who had to take what she could get. After that night, our lives became a jumble of lies and second-bests. Seven days later, Laban came through on his word and gave his second daughter to be Jacob’s second wife. This time, there was no party. The damage had already been done, and no one wanted to celebrate what had occurred at the hands of two liars. Even though I’d had no choice, I’d become my father’s accomplice. I lost the nerve to look anyone in the eye. We all flirted with bitterness. Around our supper table there was never any talk of the twelve tribes or fathering any nations. How could any of that come from a family like ours? We were known by our strife. Our misunderstandings. Disappointments. Loneliness. Attempts at forgiveness. Don’t do this , I almost whispered to my father on that night before the irreversible occurred. It would have changed the course of history, but I wasn’t worried about that. Instead I was haunted by the quiet devastations that constructed my life. I’d never been romantic, but I wanted to be loved, and not just by my husband. By my father, too. For years after our wedding night, Jacob was outraged to be so deceived by my father, but he should have seen it coming. When Jacob lied to his own father to secure his older brother’s birthright so many years before, our crooked story began. Lies beget lies, and liars keep company with their own. Still, a cheater is always surprised when he gets cheated. And some of us just get caught up in the chaos, wondering whether the truth ever mattered. God might not lie, but His people do. Close Loading Video . . . If I could, I'd wrestle with God over one truth in my life: my father had to lie to get me a husband. Download Full Written Work

Bernard Lee The Fruits Of Mercy Loading Video . . . Artist Bernard Lee's work cultivates the thriving that results from shared mercy as encouraged Jude 1:22. Jude 1:22 The Fruits of Mercy By Bernard Lee Credits: Curated by: Michael Markham 2017 Acrylic Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Doubt comes in many different forms: in a brief moment, a season of life or even longer. For believers in particular, even a moment of sin is an expression of doubt in the goodness of God's will for us. We are all in need of receiving mercy in these moments ourselves. Because we remember that we were first the recipients of mercy, so too should we pass on God's mercy so that others may thrive. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Bernard Lee is a Los Angeles based illustrator and a former Art Director and Designer at Scientific American . His past collaborations as an Art Director and his own illustration work have been featured in numerous annuals including the Society of Illustrators, SI-LA and American Illustration. Bernard now works as an illustrator primarily in the field of editorial and publishing. His work can be seen at www.bernardleeart.com . Website Bernard Lee About the Artist Bernard Lee Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

ddu_image2.jpg ddu_image1-resized.jpg ddu_image2.jpg ddu_image3-resized.jpg ddu_image4-resized.jpg ddu_image5-resized.jpg ddu_image6-resized.jpg ddu_image7.jpg ddu_image8-resized.jpg Loading Video . . . Photographer Daniel Du brings us this beautiful set of photographs in response to the theme of "poverty" and Philippians 4:19. Philippians 4:19 Decay and Provision By Daniel Du Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Brian Dang 2014 16 x24 inches Photography, C Prints (8) Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Walking through the streets of New York, there is a pervasive amount of decay and waste. There is a sense of temporality and fragility in the human structures that cross our paths. Looking closer, there is evidence of the passage of time and the stratification of generations of cultures one on top of another in the peeling of layers and in the accumulation of debris. In this photo series, I look to decay for renewal. Is renewal evident as time wears objects from order to chaos? I think the answer lies in perspective, in the viewer's vantage point. Whether it's how light changes, how compositions are rearranged, or how points-of-view are juxtaposed together, there is room to reflect on all the layers behind the veneer of what we see within a wider context. Looking this way shows evidence of sustainability that transcends these structures and materials. This series reveals an enduring renewal through the passage of time. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Daniel Du is photographer living and working in New York City. Born in Shishou, China, Daniel got his BFA at the University of Texas. Daniel is currently an artist in residence with Transform Arts and is a member of the Long Island City Artists Collective. Website Daniel Du About the Artist Daniel Du 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 three bandmembers in SHPWRCK explore their personal connection to the story of the prodigal son in this passionate response to Luke 15:11-32. Luke 15:11-32 Prodigals By SHPWRCK band Credits: Lyrics and Music, SHPWRCK; Guitar, Lead VOX, Brock Elliott; Drums, Kyle Jeremica; Bass, Support VOX, Chris Ireland; Recording and Mixing, Pat Hills at Earthtone Record Co.; Photography and Video, Highflier Productions Curated by: Rebecca Testrake 2019 Song Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This passage has always resonated with us as a band. As Christians, the story of the prodigal son is one that shocks, frustrates, and warms our hearts. The son, in an act of cold, heartless dishonor, demands his inheritance and leaves his fathers house, wastes every cent and finds himself in ruin. It's in this realization of lowliness, that the son determines to return home and beg for a chance to be a slave in his fathers house. The father spots his lost son returning home and runs to his son, throwing his arms around him, showing immediate grace, forgiveness, and restoration to the family. This story is closely tied to our faith and represents the love God has shown towards those whom He has called. Like the son — who raised his fist to his father, left his home, and squandered his inheritance — we find ourselves in ruin and without hope. We have broken God's law and because of this, we face the righteous judgement of God, but in an ultimate display of mercy God sent his one and only son to take the punishment that we deserve. Jesus Christ took our place on the cross and we stand, justified by Him, rescued and restored, forgiven of every rebellious act we have every carried out. Just as the father greeted and forgave his son, we too have been radically forgiven by God. The music was written with this state of rebellion and restoration in mind; as the song moves from minor to major, mellow to intense, the words paint a picture of two first-person views of the story: from the view of the Prodigal son, and from the view of his father. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection SHPWRCK is a three-piece aggressive indie rock band out of Sacramento, CA. The band consists of: Lead vocalist and guitar player — Brock Elliott Drummer — Kyle Jeremica Support vocalist and bass player — Chris Ireland Established in 2015, their music ebbs and flows from heavy to melodic, driving to ambient, bluesy to experimental, with Christian themes and lyrics throughout. Website SHPWRCK band About the Artist SHPWRCK band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Sletten Create Clean Heart Lighter Smaller Cef Contrast Adjustment Loading Video . . . Visual artist Ingrid Sletten was naturally drawn to Psalm 51:11 as the longing expressed by the psalmist mirrors the themes of her works that seek to depict the divine residing in the physical body. Psalms 51:11 A Clean Heart, O God! By Ingrid Sletten Credits: Curated by: Laurel Justice 2017 8 x 11 1/4 inches Gouache on heavy paper Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link About the This Work Life is difficult! It has ups and downs. My faith sustains me in the journey. I have a daily prayer ritual that includes Psalm 51, of which this verse is a verse that I recite daily. In that reciting I am fervently asking God to direct me to the light, to the positive side of the soul. So, when Spark and Echo asked for a verse I had an easy choice! I selected what I pray every day from the heart. I am showing my experience of God’s answer to my prayer in me and around me. In the image I am gazing out at you and you can see intimately the spirit at work in response to my prayer. The Spirit is in the abstract forms around me – circles of various sizes and colors. The colors suggest the bright light – and also the essential minerality -- of the Spirit. The varying thickness of the paint shows the palpable, tactile sense I have of the energy of the Spirit. My face shines with the infusion of the Spirit! It is, I am, experienced as having been cleansed. I hold this moment, this image, as another and eternal prayer for continued cleansing of the heart. About My Body of Work I have painted human figures and abstract shapes for the last seventeen years. In some images, the figure is alone in the work. In others the abstract forms occur alone. The human and the abstract forms also appear together. Most of my work is on paper using tempera, water color and charcoal. For the human figure I draw from life using a model. My figures are often drawn larger than life. The abstractions are linear or circular shapes. Both language systems are necessary for what I wish to communicate. Through the figurative language I intend to depict the divine that resides in the physical body. These depictions communicate the presence of the divine spirit, or a divine spiritual state such as joy, peace, tranquility; truth. The abstractions depict the energy of the divine presence that may be within and around the body. My work is connected to meditation and reflection practices combined with the experience of life drawing. Abstract images of shapes and colors may come to my imagination during or after meditation. As I draw from life or reflect on existing drawings of the figure, I imagine the energy in or around the figure in a particular form or color. “My images are intended to represent the divine within the human person, through natural depictions of the physical body as well as through abstract forms.” Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Descended from Norwegian immigrants who settled in Wisconsin in the early 20th century, Ingrid Sletten moved to New York twenty years ago and considers herself a New Yorker. She is proud of her hometown as a collective of diverse, courageous and persistent people. Fifteen years ago, Ingrid began a journey as an artist and a spiritual director. She is now an active visual artist producing exhibit work that depicts human figures and abstract shapes with a focus on the presence of the divine in the images. Ingrid has a Master’s Degree in Christian Spirituality from Fordham University, Bronx, New York. Privileged to serve in the media industry in New York, Ingrid worked in the field for twenty years -- serving Fortune 500 Companies through the dot.com boom and beyond. Six years ago she began a career in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction field where she found joy combining her expertise in business and media with her first love: spirituality and the visual arts. Ingrid's family property, The River Cabin, is located in Chetek, Wisconsin. Her family is beyond dear to her. They help her focus on God’s presence and social justice; areas in which she hopes to champion as long as she is graced to be on this earth. Website Ingrid Sletten About the Artist Ingrid Sletten Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work