Hello all (i have to blog at least 2 times a week...so hear is number 2)
The other day I was riding the train from Uptown (where I am) to down town Chicago. During the 7 mile ride from where I live to the library, which was our final destination...we passed through many different, strikingly unique neighbourhoods. Chicago is actually made up of about 77 different neighbourhoods, and for me to even dream of seeing them all is completely unreasonable.
Several hours later, I crossed a bridge that goes over one of the busiest highways in America. The highway connects Milwaukee and Chicago, and continues on as interstates do. I had never seen so many cars in one place, all fighting for position in the endless maze of traffic, and racing towards a destination unknown to me, and unknown to everyone else.
Back on the train on the way home, I thought how amazing it is that one could live in the same place and know so little about the place we live. However, in a city of 8 million and 77 different ethnic neighbourhoods (including the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw), it seems all too likely that this is the case. It would be a stretch to imagine that someone could even scratch the surface of knowing what a city like Chicago is like.
So, in order to console myself as I passed by the smoke stained (but surprisingly beautiful) apartments and townhouses, I imagined the stories I would hear from the people who lived there. What events have shaped their lives? Who abandoned them? Who was there for them? Who are they missing? What are they missing? If only I could listen to the life stories of all these people... Someone who I respect very much once said, “Wherever there are people...stories to be heard, it is important that we hear them, because it is in that way that we become more human.” I believe that whole heartedly, and that is one of the biggest reasons that I have decided to go to Africa for a year. However, it is clear to me now that no matter how hard I try...I will never be able to hear all the stories that I want to, so I hope that God will guide me to those who I need to hear, and who need to hear whatever I have to say...if they even have to...and hopefully, through this process I will find out what it means to be human.
Kyle
P.S. For all of you Rise Against fans (as you should know, Chicago is where they hail from), listen to The Chamber and the Cartridge. Note the spoken part in the beginning of the song, “This is Noise!” I was riding the train and the speaker on the train that announces the stops says, “This is ____” IT IS THE EXACT SAME VOICE! Just thought I would let you know that...I was blown away by it!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
First Few Days in Chi Town
Hello all!!!!
I am very very excited to finally get this thing going! I have spent a few days in chicago and I am falling in love with the city! it’s not as windy as people describe it as....just 10 times bigger than Winnipeg...I feel very small. This blog will basically just give you some info you may find useful either now or in the future. I am staying at an intentional community living space called JPUSA (Jesus People USA). Basically, it’s a 10 story building that houses 450 people who have decided to live as a community together in order to serve God. When it was described to me the first day, my initial thought was that it was a cult...I was very wrong. The people here are all very different and have some incredible stories to tell. I spoke to someone today who was part of a Los Angeles gang and ran away when the killing became too constant and ended up spending 13 years in the army...and now is one of the directors at JPUSA. He had some very interesting things to say, but the one thing that really stuck out to me, being from Winkler, is that essentially, the only thing that separates different denominations within the larger Church is how we define worldliness. It’s tough for us to comprehend that fully because we all want to believe that we are completely right in what we believe and are unwilling to see the good in what others believe......anyways, that’s enough deep stuff for today.
Basically, orientation takes the form of discipleship training. We do some Bible study, some group bonding activities, some preparatory activities for when we leave for South Africa/England/Paraguay/Australia. We have done 2 scavenger hunts around the city....one was in the neighbourhood that I live in called, Uptown...and the other one that I did today was in Downtown Chicago. Both showed me incredible things....I saw poverty first hand essentially for the first time in my life in Uptown. And, in down town....I saw what human beings are capable of....I havce never seen buildings so big. However, I will talk to you all later...please stay in touch...I miss you all very much.....it’s actually pathetic.
Some interesting facts about Chi town: 1.) Our building, JPUSA...was built by Al Capone and used to be one of the nicest hotels in the city....not so much anymore.
2.) Shoes on the telephone wires (which are all over our building) show wat kind of drugs are sold in the area...news to me.
3.) The sears tower...literally went into the clouds today...i was blown away.
Im sure there are more that I am missing...but thats all for now...hope to hear from you all soon.
Kyle
I am very very excited to finally get this thing going! I have spent a few days in chicago and I am falling in love with the city! it’s not as windy as people describe it as....just 10 times bigger than Winnipeg...I feel very small. This blog will basically just give you some info you may find useful either now or in the future. I am staying at an intentional community living space called JPUSA (Jesus People USA). Basically, it’s a 10 story building that houses 450 people who have decided to live as a community together in order to serve God. When it was described to me the first day, my initial thought was that it was a cult...I was very wrong. The people here are all very different and have some incredible stories to tell. I spoke to someone today who was part of a Los Angeles gang and ran away when the killing became too constant and ended up spending 13 years in the army...and now is one of the directors at JPUSA. He had some very interesting things to say, but the one thing that really stuck out to me, being from Winkler, is that essentially, the only thing that separates different denominations within the larger Church is how we define worldliness. It’s tough for us to comprehend that fully because we all want to believe that we are completely right in what we believe and are unwilling to see the good in what others believe......anyways, that’s enough deep stuff for today.
Basically, orientation takes the form of discipleship training. We do some Bible study, some group bonding activities, some preparatory activities for when we leave for South Africa/England/Paraguay/Australia. We have done 2 scavenger hunts around the city....one was in the neighbourhood that I live in called, Uptown...and the other one that I did today was in Downtown Chicago. Both showed me incredible things....I saw poverty first hand essentially for the first time in my life in Uptown. And, in down town....I saw what human beings are capable of....I havce never seen buildings so big. However, I will talk to you all later...please stay in touch...I miss you all very much.....it’s actually pathetic.
Some interesting facts about Chi town: 1.) Our building, JPUSA...was built by Al Capone and used to be one of the nicest hotels in the city....not so much anymore.
2.) Shoes on the telephone wires (which are all over our building) show wat kind of drugs are sold in the area...news to me.
3.) The sears tower...literally went into the clouds today...i was blown away.
Im sure there are more that I am missing...but thats all for now...hope to hear from you all soon.
Kyle
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