Nestled between several car repair shops, two-story brick flats, and some industrial-looking buildings; this is a low-key and relatively quiet set of blocks in the middle of the west side. So as I approached my destination and walked up the ramp that led to the front door, I wasn’t expecting what I saw next.

I stood inside the open and sun-lit lobby and looked to my left. There was a small internet cafe with three computer monitors on a skinny table against the far wall, a few small tables, and a coffee barista booth. To my right, through the opened double doors, was a freshly-painted basketball half-court with a fiberglass backboard rim.

I continued forward into the auditorium as a gospel song played through the speakers. A skylight in the center of the auditorium and allowed sunlight to pour in, and softened the concrete floor.

Later on, the speaker asked the audience if anyone had any noteworthy events that the group could pray about or celebrate. And for the next five minutes, the speaker listened to announcements of birthdays, upcoming overseas vacations, family gatherings, and the deaths of close family members.

The speaker seemed to know many of the audience members - young and old - by name. I haven’t seen anything quite like it on my journey so far.

The journey continues in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Grand Avenue and Hamlin.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 11 (Recovery) - Grand Avenue and Hamlin

The streets were quiet when I arrived on the south side on this sunny, Spring morning: A few not-yet-opened soul food restaurants, a few gas stations, a few posters for a upcoming rap concert hanging from a few traffic light poles.

As I walked up the block towards this massive cathedral, the sound of bells rang out over the neighborhood from the tower high above the street. This building reminded me of villages in western Europe where the cathedral was the largest structure in the village, and was constructed at such an impressive scale to both inspire awe and reverence for how big God is, and to remind humans how small we are in comparison.

A large stone staircase at the side entrance lead me into the main hall - an open space with tall, vaulted arches that held up the ceiling about 75-100 feet above my head. Dimly-lit chandeliers hung from the arches. Sunlight shining through the stained glass windows balanced the dark wooden paneling along the base of the walls.

A rectangular table on the center stage is covered in Kente cloth, with three lit candles resting on top. Behind the stage hung a large painting of a Black man with a short afro, extended arms, and opened hands.

The journey continues in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 78th Place and Racine.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 12 (Clarity) - 78th Place and Racine

Taking the Independence Blvd. exit off the Eisenhower Expressway leads me me south down a well-paved, tree-lined stretch of road that connects two of the largest parks on the city’s west side - Douglas Park and Garfield Park.

One right turn changes the scenery to the alternating vacant lots and strip malls along this stretch of Roosevelt Road. I pull up to the large structure which occupies an entire city block. The far side of this building is bordered by a mix of new and old two and three story brick flats on a quiet side street. Across the street, an industrial-sized lot lies vacant. My destination is easily the nicest building in this area.

A group of three older women in long dresses joked with each other at the front door. The lobby had the feel of a banquet hall, and lead directly to the auditorium.

As I found a seat on one of the padded benches a few rows from the back, and looked around, it was clear that the designers of this placed had been inspired by the phrase God’s House.

From the vaulted ceilings of the A-frame structure, to the beautifully crafted stained glass windows where the people in the depicted scenes had a soft brown color used for their skin. On the wall high above the front stage, and the 25-person black-and-white robed choir, rested the words: Serving God through Serving Humanity.

The journey continues in the Lawndale neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Roosevelt Rd and Tripp.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 13 (Everywhere) - Roosevelt Rd and Tripp

This section of the city borders neighborhoods with histories and legacies that reflect the parallel universes which exist in this city.

To the west are the Dearborn Homes housing projects. To the north are the restaurants, condos, and offices of the rapidly expanding South Loop. To the south, the historic cultural mecca of Black Chicago life - Bronzeville. To the east are the hotels and convention centers of McCormick Place.

This space blends in perfectly with the newly constructed condominiums and office spaces. A sandwich board sign has been placed at the corner of the sidewalk intersection to direct people towards the entrance.

I could faintly hear the voices of a group practicing a song in a room nearby. There were only a handful of people when I arrived, but everyone seemed to know each other. 

A few minutes later, three women joined the band on stage and began to lead the audience in song. Although there were only around 30 people in the audience, the three singers sang with with a level of passion and energy that was inspiring. You would’ve thought the audience was 10 or 20 times as big. I was moved by their dedication to excellence in their gift, irrespective of the size of the space or the crowd.

The journey continues in the South Loop, at the corner of 23rd St. and Michigan Avenue.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 14 (Temptation) - 23rd St and Michigan

Driving down 55th street from the west, I pass through blocks that alternate between the urban bustle of small business districts, and the residential quiet of stretches of single-story brick bungalows.

This scene eventually gives way to Garfield Blvd. - one of Chicago’s Grand Boulevards - with its grassy, tree-lined median and blocks of brick two-flats and greystones.

If this stretch of road was 5500 North instead of 5500 South, it would be a tourist destination. Rents and home values would be through the roof. In fact, this is the case in Hyde Park, the neighborhood surrounding The University of Chicago, where Garfield Blvd. terminates. But further back west, by Ashland Avenue, Garfield Blvd. simply serves as the northern border of Englewood.

As I walk up to the brick structure, an elderly woman was taping a flyer for an upcoming community event on the front door. I said good morning and she asked me how I was doing. I said I was well, and I returned the question.

“Blessed, as long as we keep fighting evil with good,” she responded.

Inside, a handful of people were scattered around the main hall. A few elderly people, a few children. Behind my seat, two teenage boys are setting up the sound board as a gospel song begins to play over the hall’s speakers.

As the setup continued, a lady walked up to me and shook my hand:

“Are you our visitor for the day?”

“Yes ma’am”

“Good.”

The journey continues in the Englewood neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of Garfield Blvd. and Paulina.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 15 (Awake) - Garfield Blvd and Paulina

It’s a warm and sunny summer morning as I board the train headed into the city. The canyoned streets of the Loop are quiet as I walk by the closed office towers, banks, coffee shops, and upscale clothing boutiques.

I pass by the occasional family or small group of tourists, who are taking photos of the surrounding architecture and making their way to visit the skydeck at the Willis (Sears) Tower.

The pace picks up as I exit the’L’ into the River North section of downtown, which is comprised of the blocks that lie behind the city’s famous Magnificent Mile stretch of Michigan Avenue. People are sitting outside of coffee shops, and packing luggage into the back of SUV taxis parked in hotel driveways.

The exterior of my destination looks like a library on an Ivy League campus, or the entrance to a large museum. A quick bit of online research revealed that this building was constructed nearly 100 years ago by a professional organization for surgeons, and was designed in the French renaissance style. Which makes sense. This is exactly the kind of structure one would imagine a group of doctors building one block west of the Mag Mile.
As I took my seat on the main level of the hall, I looked around at the young professionals, college students, and parents of young children assembled. The people here seemed not only to know each other, but to be at the same stage of life.

A nine-person band led the audience in a series of songs, then a few families came to the front stage with their young children to engage in a short ceremony where they publicly declared their commitment to raising their children with Godly values.

Our year-long journey through Chicago's neighborhoods in search of God continues in River North, at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Erie.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 16 (Fire) - Wabash and Erie

One mile away from Oakwood Beach and the shores of Lake Michigan, in the heart of the historic south side neighborhood of Bronzeville, sits a quiet set of streets directly four and a half miles south of the city’s Magnificient Mile.

On this hot summer morning, I walk through a series of peaceful blocks populated by a scattered collection of stately greystones, older brick two-flats, and newly constructed townhomes. I walk past a beautiful, modern building that is home to a community service organization providing resources and assistance to youth who find themselves homeless.

A few minutes after I arrive in the sunlit lobby of my destination, I discover that the event times have changed. I am one hour early. So I decided to walk the long way back to my car and planned to go get some coffee and wait.

To my pleasant surprise, there was a soul food restaurant open for a brunch just a block away. I took this unexpected detour and enjoyed a nice chicken and waffles breakfast, and made my way back to the event one hour later.

◊

Inside the main level of the large auditorium, stage lights hanging from the wood-paneled ceiling light up the rows of padded benches. Long vertical wooden slants form the wall behind the stage like a music recording studio. 

A TV camera hangs from the end of a large crane-like mechanical arm that extends from the bottom of the right corner of the front stage. On stage, a team of eight singers leads the audience in song, accompanied by a full band and a 30-member choir decked out in white and brown robes.

The journey continues in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 38th Street and Indiana. 

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 17 (Levels) - 38th and Indiana

It is a hot and humid mid-July morning as I walk east through the neighborhood of Lincoln Park. The main streets are home to clothing boutiques and specialty pastry shops. The quiet, tree-lined side streets are populated with brick townhomes.

The neighborhood ends at the entrance of Lincoln Park, the 1,200-acre expanse along the northern section of the city’s 26 miles of lakefront parkland. At this intersection, the city skyline appears like a picturesque mountain range behind the massive brick structure which is my destination.
 
Several sets of dark wood double doors with carved mouldings line the street-level entrance. Inside, I can hear the hum of voices as I walk through the chandelier-lit side corridor which wraps around the main auditorium. The corridor’s stately brick arches open into a cavernous hall.

On the main level of this large hall, there are four sections of pull-down wooden seats that remind you of a school auditorium. Overhead, the tiled stone ceiling reminds you of an old European cathedral.

A copper-plated railing marks the balcony that wraps around the oval-shaped auditorium. The balcony seats rise towards the sets of stained glass windows that have filtered the incoming sunlight into an array of yellow, blue, and green.

As the event began, a seven-person band led the audience in song. Behind them, tall and shiny brass organ pipes rose up along the auditorium’s wall and were framed on both sides by large projection screens displaying the songs’ lyrics.

The journey continues in the Old Town neighborhood on the near north side, at the corner of Clark Street and LaSalle.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 18 (Ancestry) - Clark St and LaSalle

Only a few sections of Chicago’s borders transition as seamlessly between the city and one of its neighboring suburbs. If you cross North Avenue on any of the side streets in this neighborhood, you would not notice any difference between the well-maintained lawns, tree-lined streets, and brick single family homes of the city's Galewood neighborhood and those of its border suburb, Oak Park. 

Even my destination, with its small stone chapel design, blends in nicely with the neighborhood; facing North Avenue from the Chicago side. I walked through the open wooden double doors at the front entrance. A small group of people were chatting and catching up in the small lobby as I walked by. An older man greeted me and introduced himself.

The inside of the main hall matched its countryside chapel exterior. Small yellow and blue stained glass windows filtered the sunlight shining in. In the back corner, colorful coffee mugs decorated the walls of a coffee stand. The two sections of padded chairs in the hall were flanked on the left side by the tables where people could sit with their coffee or tea, and where young children could sit to draw and color.

Wood panels built in an A-frame structure formed the roof of this small and inviting space. A brick archway formed the backdrop for the front area where a few microphones, a drum set, and a piano seemed to be more than enough for the five-person band who led the audience in song.

I looked around as the audience members joined in the singing. Although there were only a few dozen people assembled here, there was a mix of individuals who appeared to reflect the many walks of life represented in the areas surrounding this building.

The journey continues on the west side, at the corner of North Avenue and Rutherford.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 19 (Care) - North Avenue and Rutherford

The streets are quiet as I turn onto a one-way residential stretch of Washington Blvd. My destination sits at the corner, facing a mix of old and new three-story brick townhomes and greystones along Washington Boulevard and a vacant lot along Albany Avenue. I get out of my car and walk to the curb. A single, empty glass bottle lays on the grass.

Cars are parked in the grass-and-rock lot next to my destination. A group of senior citizens enter the building through a side door next to the large stone stairs at the front entrance. As I stood at the base of the stairs, I glanced to my right to see a pole tied to the trunk of a tree, holding a small fiberglass basketball backboard and rim.

I enter through the glass double doors into the inviting and well-appointed auditorium. Oak benches with blue padded cushions give the main floor the feel of a library. Light colored brick walls frame tall frosted windows, which filter the incoming sunlight.
  
An eight-person, all-male band led the audience in song as the event began. I think this might be the first time I’ve seen an all-male band on my journey. There were only 100 or so people assembled here this morning, but they seemed comfortable being in this space, and being with each other.

After the singing, a few minutes were dedicated to recognizing audience members who were celebrating birthdays. The entire audience sang Happy Birthday to the handful of people scattered throughout who stood and soaked in the love.

The journey continues in the Garfield Park neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Albany.

Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background Music: www.bensound.com/

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Week 20 (Ambassador) - Washington Blvd and Albany

A journey through city streets and spiritual beliefs.

After a decade away, I recently had the opportunity to return to the city of my birth, and to the place where the foundation of my faith was formed.

I have been through a lot since I lived in Chicago. The city has been through a lot since I left.

I never left my faith, but I see it differently now.  The communities of faith across the city's neighborhoods never left, but I look at them differently now.

I am a product of the church. I am a product of the specific churches of my youth and early adulthood, and a product of the general Christian subculture formed by people of faith who live in this part of the country.

Having moved in and around communities of faith for over three decades, I am neither objective in my observations nor oblivious in my opinions about them.

I have intentionally chosen to share the stories about my year-long journey visiting 35 faith communities in Chicago in a manner that is stripped of the packaging & pageantry, labels & titles, and divisions & denominations that matter to fewer people now than they did when they were created.

Hopefully, this podcast will challenge the misperceptions about these spaces and celebrate the humanity of  the people who gather in them. 

This podcast was created in hopes that people who may be unfamiliar with these norms (and/or confused by the large swath of American society influenced by them) will find a bridge to walk with me as I consider the central questions of life, spirituality, and our beliefs about God.

I invite you to open yourself to whatever emotions and thoughts are inspired or provoked by this journey. Thanks for listening!

An OverPond Media production.

God In Chicago

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