Print Details:

• Museum-quality posters made on thick, durable, matte paper.

• Paper is archival and acid-free.

• Unframed prints arrive rolled up in a protective tube.

Frame Details:

• Alder, Semi-hardwood frame

• Black in color

• .75” thick

• Acrylite front protector

• Lightweight

• Hanging hardware included

• Made in the USA

From the artist:

The image of the stump of Jesse might have knocked the air out of those first hearing these words. The stump represented the end of the Davidic dynasty, the family line believed to carry Yahweh’s goodness. The monarchy was either thwarted by the Babylonian exile, or the Assyrian empire—historically, we’re not exactly sure. Regardless, Isaiah names what no one wants to say out loud—Jerusalem’s political future feels dead, cut off, stunted by despair. 

The image of a stump might accurately represent how we feel about our own future. Greenhouse gases and sea levels continue to rise. No place—schools, sanctuaries, theaters, malls—is safe from mass shooting attacks. Our government leaders fight like lions and wolves starving for dominance.

We also need Isaiah’s vision for a reordered world where creation exists in harmony, not as a threat to itself.

When reading this poetry of peace, I found myself pausing at the line, “and a child shall lead them” (Is. 11:6). The example of Naomi Wadler came to mind. After the Parkland, FL, school shooting, Naomi, an eleven-year-old at the time, organized a walkout at her elementary school to honor victims of gun violence. In addition to those slain in Parkland, Naomi and her fifth grade classmates also recognized people of color who are killed by gun violence every day and never make news headlines. Naomi went on to speak courageously before crowds in DC and on TV shows about the need for gun reform. When she spoke, she held the nation—and much of the world—captive with her passion, her insight, and her urgency.

Where is new life shooting up? Perhaps in the places where God can’t wait for peace. Perhaps in the voices of our children, who urge us to find a better way.

—Lisle Gwynn Garrity