The image can be artwork, a photograph, a scene, or even an icon. As you gaze at the painting below, consider the questions at the bottom in quiet reflection. Some parts may speak to you while others may not. Allow about 5 minutes of contemplation per section, but there are no hard and fast rules. Simply be present to the image and allow God to speak to your heart without any particular agenda.

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The first time I (Vanessa) learned that a grove of Aspen trees in Utah is the largest living organism on earth, I was not surprised. 

 

Growing up in Colorado, where the white and brown stripped trees are ubiquitous, we’re taught early and often about the communal nature of these magnificent trees. The grove in Utah consists of nearly 50,000 stems derived from a single root system. The entire life form covers over 100 acres and weighs in at 6,000 tons.

 

A beautiful reflection of the kingdom, Aspens are dependent on one another and provide nourishment and covering for saplings, creating a dynamic of mutuality and interdependence.

 

The contrasting color in these two paintings from Seattle artist Rebekah Vickery offers a visual of community in both the barren seasons and the seasons of basking in the multiplication of goodness and light.