Al Roker has shared a powerful image of his son, Nick, taking part in Pentecostal procession that provided his father a sense of calm in turbulent times.
The TODAY weatherman posted a pair of videos Sunday featuring Nick taking part in the procession at New York's St. James Episcopal Church along the city’s empty streets.
“With so much pain and suffering, and knowing that my boy, along with so many other young, black men is at risk, this brought me a moment of peace this morning,” Roker wrote along with the hash tags #georgefloyd and #icantbreathe, a reference to the death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis that has sparked nationwide protests.
Al captured Nick in action in a second video, as well.
“Pentecost Sunday Nick Roker part of #pentecostal #procession at @stjameschurchnyc this morning,” he captioned it.
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Al has been vocal about Nick’s special needs and St. James has become a vital place for the 17-year-old, who serves as its principal cross bearer on the worship team, Al wrote in Guideposts magazine last year.
"On Sundays when I was feeling really down about Nick — wondering where our son would find his place in this world — I found it a comfort to note that some of the acolytes also had special needs,'' he wrote.
"One performed his duties in a wheelchair; another had Down syndrome. Nick watched and wanted to join them. And the folks who oversaw the acolytes were happy to have him."
Al wrote that he has enjoyed watching Nick grow right before his eyes.
"'You must be proud of your son,' someone will say. Yes, I am. More than they’ll ever know,'' Al wrote. "The obstacles in this kid's way were things that might have tripped up many others. Not Nick, not even with the disabilities he was born with."
