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Mourning Has Broken

“Morning Has Broken” is just one of those songs that I catch myself absentmindedly singing. It’s an ear worm of a tune with exquisite lyrics that reveal the beauty of creation. But when I caught myself singing it the day after George Floyd was killed, I was overwhelmed by the brokenness of creation, as evinced in the soulless slaughter of yet another black man. Feelings of despair drove me to re-write the song and re-harmonize the chords so as to name that brokenness. As a white person, I wanted to expose the damaging and patterned white response that seems to start with shock, shift to hashtag solidarity, and quickly fizzle out into forgetfulness. “Mourning Has Broken” is a lament and a confession, one that I hope other white people will consider reflecting on. It is a prayer to God for help.