Psalm 87 // The City Where We Belong
“While I often like to portray layers of ideas in my pieces, this Psalm seemed to have a simple beauty, so I felt I should keep the focus simple. There are descriptive elements, like the "holy mountains" (v 1) and the pillars, which represent the gates of Zion and are described as loved by the Lord (v 2). The pillars, along with the red ribbons on the pillars, point to the mentioning of Babylon and Rahab (v 4). But most prominent is the girl who is excitedly joining Zion and being proclaimed as a native of the land. She represents the multitudes who will be registered by the Lord saying “this one was born there [Zion]” (v 6), those from all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples.”
—Jenn Bevington, artist