For when we need the armor of God, we seek protection with this prayer:

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

The Archangel Michael has long been a big figure in my family for years. He is considered to be a healing angel, a protector, and the leader of the army of God against the forces of evil. As St. Paul put it, we fight “not against flesh and blood but against principalities and power..” (Eph 6:12).

What influenced this piece? An overwhelming sense of another presence, of protection over myself and my comrades in every protest I’ve participated in. My parents never agreed with my activism, but I trust my mom said a couple of prayers for us. I must acknowledge this piece incorporates interpretations of an aspect of the Eritrean American experience which is unequivocally also part of the Black American experience. Eritrean Americans are Black Americans.

In Eritrean/Ethiopian orthodox iconographic style. ::