September-October 2026 - The Peaceable Kingdom

Visio divina* invites us to encounter the Divine through prayerful consideration of and interaction with an image. Follow the steps below to include a few moments of divine seeing in your devotional time.

Look at The Peaceable Kingdom on the cover of this issue of The Upper Room and let your eyes stay with the very first thing that you see. Keep your attention on the part of the image that first catches your eye. Breathe slowly and deeply as you gaze at that part of the image for a minute or so. 

Now take time to study every part of the image — the colors, the movement, the textures, the story being presented. Reflect on the image for a few moments. 

Consider the following questions:

• Isaiah 11:6-9 tells of a time when the usual order of nature will be turned on its head. Predators will sleep peacefully with prey animals, and children will be leaders. What details of Swanson’s painting match the images in the passage from Isaiah? 
• What unlikely pairings catch your attention, either in the biblical text or in the painting? 
• If you were to describe a peaceable kingdom, what examples would you give? 
• As you study the colors and textures in this painting, what questions would you ask the artist? 
• What prayers take form in you after reflecting on this image? Write them down or offer them to God.

*For more on visio divina, visit https://www.upperroom.org/resources/visio-divina

Cover photo courtesy of the John August Swanson Studio. ©1994 John August Swanson Trust. Prints of cover art are available from https://johnaugustswanson.com