The Reverend Dr. Kelly Hough Rogers spent much of the pandemic trying to make meaning from her parishioners’ anxiety, grief, and fear. They came to her with their devastating losses, their anguish at not being allowed to be with family in times of need, and their distress about their health and the health of their families. They came to her with stories of lost jobs, closing businesses, and the challenges of working from home. They came to her in desperation, needing food, money for rent, or a meeting with their sponsors as they battled addiction. In turn, she listened to all of their stories, provided assistance and guidance where she could, and tried to comfort them, using the Bible and other texts to bring meaning to all the suffering.

In this piece, the boulders represent the weight of the problems people brought to her and the woven gold and silver fabrics contain words from Psalms which she used to help comfort people in these difficult times.

See the piece about her life at home during COVID here.

30″ x 30″
2021