Say Their Names by Kadir NelsonToday is the fifth anniversary of the murder of nine Children of God who died at the hands of a young white supremacist during a Bible study.
There are problems with that sentence – the biggest one being that it fulfills our image of white supremacy: a broken white man who embraced the Confederate flag attacks people because of hate and racism. We all know the story about officers treating the white man with Burger King in jail. (Most white supremacists don’t look like that man. They look more like me.)
I received my copy of this week’s New Yorker magazine yesterday and the cover by Kadir Nelson is profoundly moving. Look at it. Lament over it. Let it inform our prayers of personal and corporate confession.
In these days of brokenness and sorrow, art helps.
Kadir Nelson is a supremely gifted American artist.
A Church for Starving Artists 