The Embrace of the Father

Have you ever prayed via Visio Divina? Similar to Lectio Divina which means “Divine Reading”, Visio Divina is Latin for “Divine Seeing.” It is way of praying and encountering the Lord through sacred art. Kim Zember, founder of Boldly Beloved and Unforgotten Faces, took some time to sit and pray with Kate’s original painting of the prodigal son titled ‘Coming Home.’ Through video testimony, she shares her experience of Visio Divina with this new painting.

Video Transcript

This is Kim Zember, and I was given a print of an original painting by Kate Capato called “Coming Home”, and I just want to share a reflection as I sat prayerfully looking at this painting.

So for me, personally, this painting has so much deep meaning in my own heart because it’s a reflection of the father embracing the prodigal son. 

If you look at the painting prayerfully and just even in detail, you see blood marks on the son’s back, you see dirt all over his body, you see his sandals far off, and you can just see the pain, even though you don’t see his face, you can see the pain that he’s experienced. But you are drawn right away to the father and his embrace, the way his hands are holding his son as He is embracing him. You can see in the background of the painting, you can see the Palace of the father where he dwell, where his son was supposed to be and you can see that the father left there to come and meet his son. 

You see blood marks on the son’s back… dirt all over his body… you can just see the pain he’s experienced… but you are drawn right away to the father.

It reminds me of my own life, in my own journey, out where I was far off and how instantly when I turned, the father came, ran and embraced me. As I was sitting with this painting, I couldn’t help but weep. I wept over the father’s extravagant love in the midst of my pain, in the midst of all the mess that I had caused. His embrace began to melt away all that I had done. 

So, I was really taken, I was really taken back and taken to heart as I looked at this. I must have sat prayerfully with this painting for over 20 minutes… and just continued to weep in the presence of God and the presence of this painting as I felt the Father’s heart for us and for his lost sons and daughters.

As you look at some of these prints, as you see some of the work that Kate has done, really sit with the Lord and let Him speak to you. I know that he has been speaking to me through this print, personally, and I pray you’re blessed as well.