Elena Markova – Art & Theology

LOOK: Three Travelers by Elena Markova

Elena Markova (Russian, 1967–), *Three Travelers*, 2015. Acrylic on canvas, 10 × 10 in.

I’m not sure whether Elena Markova [previously] meant for the “three travelers” of this visionary painting to represent the wise men of Matthew’s Gospel, but that’s who they remind me of. They appear to be divining, reading signs. They are on a journey of truth discovery.

Here, three robed figures of indeterminate gender are encased in mystic light as they peer upward at one of the bodiless angels that wing around them. They stand beside a cistern that shows, reflected in the water, a lone lamb under a crescent moon. Floating nearby in a sea of embers are a nest of eggs, suggesting new birth, and a ladder, reminiscent of the one the Jewish patriarch Jacob encountered, connecting the heavenly and earthly realms (Gen. 28:10–22).

LISTEN: “Inkanyezi Nezazi” (The Star and the Wise Men) by Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, on Inkanyezi Nezazi (1992)

Kuye kwamemeza abaprofethi emandulo
Kumemeza abantu abadala kangaka
Webantwana, kanisalaleni ngani
Umbiko wokuzalwa kenkosi uJesu?

Nantso ke inkanyezi
Enhle kunazo zonke
Eyalandelwa izazi
Zivela empumalanga

Baba, Baba wami
Baba, bhinc’ibeshu lakho
Simemeza ngazwi linye
Sithi izelwe
INkosi yamakhosi

Mama, Mama wami
Mama, bhinc’isidwaba sakho
Vunula uphelele
Sisho ngaphimbo linye
Sithi izelwe
INkosi yamakhosi

Uqinsile umprofethi
Yinhle kunazo zonke
Masiyilandeleni
Khona sizophumelela
(Repeat)

Saqala sabezwa besho
Saze sabona nathi embhalweni
Sabe sesiyakholwa
Yiloko esikufundayo lithini iBhayibheli?
(Repeat)

Amen, hallelujah, amen

English translation:

There was a proclamation by the prophets of old
A proclamation by such senior elders
Children, why are you not listening
To the report of the birth of the Lord Jesus?

There was a star
Most glorious of all
Followed by the wise men
Coming from the east

Father, my father
Gird up your loins
Let’s proclaim with one voice
That the King of kings
Has been born

Mother, my mother
Gird up your loins
Put on your best clothes
Let’s proclaim with one voice
That the King of kings
Has been born

The prophet was right
It [the star] is the most glorious of all
Let’s follow it
That we may prosper
(Repeat)

We first heard them tell us
Then we saw it ourselves in the scriptures
Then we believed what we read
What does the Bible say?
(Repeat)

Amen, hallelujah, amen

* This English translation by Lwazi Mbambi was commissioned by Art & Theology.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo [previously] is a South African male choral group that sings in Zulu in the local vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. The group was founded in 1960 by Joseph Shabalala, who led it until his death in 2020.

“Inkanyezi Nezazi,” the title track of one of their 1992 albums, recalls the ancient biblical prophecies of a rising light that would herald a new age (e.g., Num. 24:17; Isa. 9:2; 60:1–3). The speaker enjoins father and mother and all the village to listen to the good news of Jesus’s birth and, like the magi, to follow where the light of revelation leads.

This post is part of a daily Christmas series that goes through January 6. View all the posts here, and the accompanying Spotify playlist here. There’s also a distinct playlist for Epiphany.

LOOK: Elena Markova (Russian, 1967–), Christmas Dreams, ca. 2010. Acrylic on canvas, 27 9/16 × 35 3/8 in.

Born in Kargopol, Russia, and now living in Oregon in the western US, artist Elena Markova is inspired by the spiritual traditions of her homeland and its vibrant folk art. Her lyrical paintings reflect her love of folk tales, myths, religious narrative, and the magic of the natural world.

LISTEN: “Advent Moon” | Words by Angier Brock and music by Cecilia McDowall, 2013 | Performed by the Choir of King’s College London and organist Michael Butterfield, on Advent Carols from King’s College London, 2019

I prefer the King’s College performance above, but you’ll need a Spotify account to listen. For an Oxford Choir performance from 2014, see SoundCloud:

Let the coming of the One
who arranges Orion and the Pleiades
begin in darkness.
Let the night be cold, with drifts of snow.
Let there be one lily blooming,
and whispered messages, and kneeling.
The fierce earth spins in expectation
beneath the long night’s moon, Advent moon.
Like the restless fox crossing frosted meadows,
the silvered owl in focused, silent flight,
each of us is hungry.
In rooms of untold longing,
we sing our seasoned carols,
watch, and wait.
Let the coming of the One
who kindles fires of hope,
whose faithfulness runs far beyond our sight,
be like the coming of a child.
Let there be milk, forgiveness, quiet arms.
Come quickly, Love, our dearest deep
and sweetest dawning.
Come, fill us with your light.

This choral anthem was a collaboration between lyricist and composer, commissioned by Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Angier Brock lives. (Cecilia McDowall lives in London.) It premiered at the church on December 1, 2013, sung by the Choirs of Bruton Parish. I’m blown away by the beauty of Brock’s text. The Creator of the constellations, descended from heaven to dwell with us—light in our darkness, food for our hunger, warmth in the cold. Reminds me a bit of Rowan Williams’s poem “Advent Calendar.” I will definitely be returning to this one each Advent!

For each day of the first week of Advent I am publishing one art-and-song pairing as an invitation for seasonal reflection.