God In Chicago

I began my journey here because this was one of two places that shaped my understanding of God during my teens and early 20s. This has always been a place where I could get my head right. So when my life’s road brought me back to the Chicago area a few months ago, it only made sense to start my search for God in this place.This place is a cathedral to God. The way stadiums are cathedrals to sports. The way skyscrapers are cathedrals to capitalism. This places is designed to make a statement , about God and about the community that assembles here every week.And statements matter. Especially for this neighborhood, which borders the campus of an Ivy League level university that trains people to run the world; but also borders a community that is fighting to protect its youth from running the streets.I see the excellence of God in this building they’ve constructed. I see experience in their decoration of this space, and of themselves.So I am ready. Surrounded by people who present themselves with excellence, and who care for this space with excellence, to hear something about an excellent God.The journey begins in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the south side, at the corner 63rd Street and Dorchester.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s like being on a mini-campus where all the buildings on the block leading up to the main building are owned and affiliated with this institution.There’s a building called Hope House. One called Perkins Center. There’s a learning center, a health center, an agape chapel, a fitness center. Even the indie coffee shop on the corner might also be part of this impressive collection of buildings. When I arrived, the building - an old-school gymnasium with wood beam rafters - has a comfortable and low-key vibe. This is a come-as-you-are kind of place. No one here is wearing a suit. There are no expensive cars parked in front of the entrance.As I watch more people enter the building, it’s obvious that these people know each other. They are not simply co-located in this space, they are communing with one another. Fittingly, today the speaker had chosen to talk about the concept of love. The journey continues in the Lawndale neighborhood on the west side, and the corner of Ogden & Avers.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

As I drive up Princeton Street, I couldn’t help but think about the cruel irony of the street’s name. A name it shares with one of America’s oldest institutions of privilege, power, and wealth.This street runs as a kind of middle track between the Dan Ryan Expressway and the Norfolk Southern freight train tracks. If you were doing one of those ESPN feature profiles of a young athlete from the “mean streets” of Chicago’s south side, the landscape of this street on this morning is the video footage you would see: gray skies, bordered up homes, vacant lots, few businesses.As I waited for the event to begin, I watched the comfortable conversation between pairs and small groups of people as they made their way to their preferred rows.Next to me, a 3-4 year old boy politely steps into a conversation between two women discussing pre-kindergarten registration:“Can you please top talking to my mommy?”Both women laugh. This child looks comfortable in this space. He has been here before many times. He recognizes faces, they recognize his. He seems cared for and cared about. I think about who he will be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, will this building still be a place where he is recognized, welcomed, loved, and cared for?The journey continues in the Fuller Park neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 45th and Princeton.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

I did not have any preconceived ideas about what to expect as I pulled into the parking lot behind an elementary school and in the shadow of the Orange Line elevated tracks.Yet, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little surprised when I walked into the well-lit, open lobby and saw an information kiosk in the center, a merchandise booth in the corner to my right, and a 4-5 table coffee shop on my left.It was...professional. Like going to a hotel ballroom for a seminar or conference. But it was also familiar, and definitely had a come-as-you-are vibe. There was a signature book for first-time visitors placed at each aisle as you enter the auditorium. As I waited for the event to begin, I flipped through the brochure I’d been given, and watched the scattered small groups of people chatting in the auditorium. In the upper right hand corner of the informational brochure, I noticed a small box of text titled Weekly Budget. Listed underneath was the organization’s budget for the week, and the amount of money they had raised from donations in the previous week.This is the first place I’ve been, so far, that mentioned how much they spend. It seems to be an effort to build trust through transparency. I wonder what led to the decision to share this information with visiting guests and committed members alike.I think, on some level, this small disclosure had an effect on me. I felt better about the projectors, sound stage, screens, speakers, and modern decor in this auditorium which were a contrast to the nondescript and understated exterior of this building and the buildings on the the surrounding blocks.The journey continues in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the southwest side, at the corner of 51st and Keeler. Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

You can understand a lot about the history of Chicago over the past 50 years just by taking a ride down Lake Street from the gas stations and fast food restaurants in Maywood, through the tree canopied streets of River Forest, through the urbanized suburban bustle of Oak Park, and into the two-flats, corner stores, and 19th century mansions of the Austin neighborhood on the city’s west side.To ride down Lake Street into the city is to see the clear boundary lines between struggle and success, poverty and profit, comfort and carnage. Even the viaducts and walls of the Green Line tracks that run alongside Lake Street reflect the stark shift in economic realities at the Austin Blvd. border.As I enter the building, it has the feeling of a meeting hall. With the exception of the stained glass windows along the side walls, there are not any immediately visible decorations that indicate what the space is used for. There are around 150 people in this space, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels cozier and more intimate.This Sunday happens to be Youth Sunday, and a 20-person team of young mime actors and praise dancers from elementary to middle school age filled the front stage and main center aisle.There is a specific kind of joy and freedom that is expressed when children dance. In some ways, this kind of joy can only be expressed by children. As I watched their performance, and the enthusiastic support of the adults in this building, I wondered what it means in the lives of these young people to have started their week in this way.I thought about the drastically different Sunday mornings that their neighborhood friends and their peers at school must be having. What does it mean for these young people to have such a space to dance, sing, perform, play, and express?The journey continues in the Austin neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Austin Boulevard and Lake Street.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

An uptempo jazz/afrobeat instrumental plays through the auditorium speakers as I enter. There’s a ship steering wheel with a face that appears etched on it in the middle of the stage.As the event was about to get underway, a woman walked up to a podium at the side of the front stage:“In keeping with our African tradition, may we have permission to proceed with our worship? To signify, wave your hankerchief.”With that, a procession of choir singers entered the auditorium accompanied by the syncopated beats of the African drum players on the front stage. Nearly every choir member was wearing a West African-inspired dashiki, dress, head wrap, or kufi.In the first 15 minutes, the people assembled in this space experienced a wider and more global expression of love for God than most people will see in a year. The opening song was performed with a reggae vibe. The opening meditation was offered in Spanish and English. The opening prayer was delivered in Jamaican Patois. The mime/dance performance that followed was set to a gospel ballad.The time set aside for the audience to greet the people seated around them lasted for a good five minutes, and was one of the more joyful breaks of this kind that I’ve seen so far. The band played a jazz instrumental while people embraced, laughed, and smiled at each other.The journey continues in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the south side, on the corner of 95th Street and Eggleston.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

This stretch of Washington Blvd. is lined with 3-story brick flats and large apartment buildings. As I crossed the street, I came upon a swooping, concave building with a wall of tinted glass windows. There are arrows chalked on to the sidewalk directing visitors to the double-door entrance.As I walked through the hallways and to the auditorium, at least five people shook my hand and greeted me with a smile. Two of the greeters introduced themselves by name, and asked me for my name as well. Another one of the greeters explained to me that the events usually take place in their gym. However, due to a recent flood in the gym, they were temporarily relocating to the space I was entering.And an impressive space it was. It the was the library which serves the high school that is run by this organization. This library had a loft layout: high ceilings, modern light fixtures, an exterior wall with floor-to-ceiling windows that opened to a sunny courtyard containing a small playground for children.Later on in the event, a group of people visiting from Nebraska were recognized by a speaker at the front stage. He mentioned an initiative called The Compassion Experience, which was some sort of intercultural exchange program, with the goal of spending a day in the life of someone from a different culture.In fact, there were multiple references to events that involved promoting reconciliation and understanding between people from different races. This is the first time so far in my journey when racial reconciliation was explicitly stated as an organization’s goal.The journey continues in the Austin neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Parkside.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: http://www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

After taking the 111th street exit off the southbound side of the Bishop Ford expressway, I notice the large Area 2 Chicago Police Department building - which takes up multiple blocks - on my left.On my right, there’s an industrial-sized vacant lot with a sign in front. The sign features an architect’s rendering of a new Whole Foods grocery store distribution facility.I turn onto Cottage Grove and drive past murals and street placards which commemorate the rich and proud history of the Pullman company for which this neighborhood is named. I pass by a mural of Harriet Tubman painted on the wall of a boarded-up corner store, which sat at the foot of the viaduct that carries the Metra South Shore train lines overhead.As I turn onto to Corliss Ave. and approach my destination, it feels like I am entering the parking lot of a football stadium or an amusement park. Traffic cones form lanes that guide cars into sections of this massive parking lot, where all the vehicles seemed to be parked facing this impressive structure.Inside, there were tables with Black History Month displays in the lobby. Three-digit seating section numbers were painted above the stadium-like entrances to the auditorium. A choir was on stage singing as I made my way to a seat a few rows into the lower mezzanine level.This massive space is the size of a small college sports arena, but the people around me look comfortable. Many of them stood in their seats and joined the choir in song before the event began.The journey continues in the Pullman neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 114th St. and Corliss.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

On this morning in Logan Square, the main boulevard is busy with joggers, parents pushing strollers, and double-parked cars in front of two large Catholic churches.An upbeat gospel song plays softly over the loudspeakers as people enter the auditorium in groups of 2-4. Everyone seems like they have known each other for a while. They are comfortable with each other, and are in the middle of extended conversations as the event begins.A six-person band led the audience in a song with the chorus, “A mighty fortress is our God” as the main speaker came to the front stage and offered this commentary to the audience.“Back then, 400 years ago, when the [song’s] author wrote these lyrics, a town or village without a mighty fortress was in big trouble. And today, without a strong fortress, you and I are in big trouble.”The band then led the audience in another song, and about 10 people formed a line along the base of the stage and invited audience members to come forward if they wanted someone to pray with them.As some people in the audience walked up to the front stage, one or two members of this 10-person team prayed with them. Some of these prayer sessions lasted for several minutes, yet the members of the 10-person team seemed okay with taking the time, no one seemed to be in a rush.I watched as each person who walked up to the front concluded their prayer session by raising their head, smiling at their prayer partners, and embracing them in a heartfelt hug.I was moved by watching similar scenes unfold at the front stage, for what seemed like 10 minutes I wonder what it must have meant to the audience members who participated to begin their week this way.I was reminded of the times when I’ve seen people in parks, malls, and busy streets holding signs that say FREE HUGS. We know that so many people in our country suffer from a lack of love. What could happen if more people found places and spaces where they could get a prayer and a hug?What could happen if more people found places and spaces where they were free to unburden themselves and share their concerns with someone who was willing to listen...and not judge?The journey continues on the northwest side, at the corner of Kedzie Blvd. and Albany.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

I first noticed this building while by on the Dan Ryan Expressway a month earlier. Surrounded by the White Sox baseball stadium, a high school, housing projects, and an eight-lane super highway; it feels like this building is a monument to a south side that existed decades ago.So when I walked into the building, having arrived early for the event, and took a seat in one of the padded benches toward the back of the auditorium; I was not surprised to see the crowd seated around me made up of mostly senior citizens who were concluding their early morning Bible study session.They ended their session by singing a hymn a capella. They all seemed to know the hymn’s lyrics, and they sang those lyrics with the kind of soul that only comes from having lived for many decades.As the seniors gathered their things and began their procession out of the auditorium, I felt like I was watching some sort of Benjamin Button-like time lapse video.Leaving the auditorium were the steady, slow steps of the elders in two-piece suits and long dresses. Entering the auditorium were the confident and steady strides of the millennials, rocking manicured beards, shredded jeans, and pencil skirts.The journey continues in the Wentworth Gardens neighborhood on the south side, at the corner of 37th Street and Wentworth.Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4

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:83Background Music: www.bensound.com/Pick up your copy of the companion book at https://godinchicago.com/Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Y94abI and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2z6q5W4