Death - Jackson Blvd and Laramie
Dec 30, 2017 ·
9m 13s
I see two men standing and talking by the side of the off ramp as I exit off the expressway onto Central Avenue, They are not holding any signs. They...
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I see two men standing and talking by the side of the off ramp as I exit off the expressway onto Central Avenue, They are not holding any signs. They are not even facing the cars stopped at the red light. Yet, it looks like if they had a cool indoor place to go, they would rather be there.
Across the street, in the median, another man paces slowly amidst the foam cups, plastic bags, and other litter scattered around the on-ramp to the expressway. I glance to my right, and see a whole pile of garbage dumped along the side of this exit.
I made my way down Central through the Austin neighborhood on the city’s west side. I arrived on a beautiful stretch of Jackson Boulevard populated by well-maintained lawns, brick two-flats with a late 1950s architectural design, and one-story bungalows.
What I did not know as I walked up the short set of concrete stairs towards the front entrance of my destination, was that just six weeks earlier two men had been murdered by gunfire on these very same steps, at nearly the same time of day as I was ascending them on this morning.
I learned about this tragedy after my visit - and to be honest - I probably would not have come to this location if I would have known about this incident beforehand.
What does that say about me?
What does that say about God?
I don’t know. What I do know, is that this building was still open on the morning I visited. People were still assembling in this space. And they were well aware of what had taken place here six weeks ago. I don’t feel qualified to describe what that says about their connection to God. I do feel humbled and grateful to be able to - in some way - bear witness to this community of people.
The journey continues in the Austin neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Laramie.
Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background 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
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Across the street, in the median, another man paces slowly amidst the foam cups, plastic bags, and other litter scattered around the on-ramp to the expressway. I glance to my right, and see a whole pile of garbage dumped along the side of this exit.
I made my way down Central through the Austin neighborhood on the city’s west side. I arrived on a beautiful stretch of Jackson Boulevard populated by well-maintained lawns, brick two-flats with a late 1950s architectural design, and one-story bungalows.
What I did not know as I walked up the short set of concrete stairs towards the front entrance of my destination, was that just six weeks earlier two men had been murdered by gunfire on these very same steps, at nearly the same time of day as I was ascending them on this morning.
I learned about this tragedy after my visit - and to be honest - I probably would not have come to this location if I would have known about this incident beforehand.
What does that say about me?
What does that say about God?
I don’t know. What I do know, is that this building was still open on the morning I visited. People were still assembling in this space. And they were well aware of what had taken place here six weeks ago. I don’t feel qualified to describe what that says about their connection to God. I do feel humbled and grateful to be able to - in some way - bear witness to this community of people.
The journey continues in the Austin neighborhood on the west side, at the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Laramie.
Intro Theme Music: Victory Lap by QSTN ft. Mecca:83
Background 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
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| Author | Deji Komolafe |
| Website | - |
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