That Time a Super-Hero Showed Up in Chicago

When asked their favorite part of Chicago week- many in our group will answer- gutting the apartment that the church owns in a not-so-good section of Chicago. The apartment will be part of the church’s ministry once it’s rehabbed. While vacant, there was a flood and the whole place needed to be gutted to the studs before it could be made livable again. Jesse- the church point-person who manages these kinds of projects- shared a bit of history on the first day. There was evidence that would suggest the apartment had been used for darkly evil purposes based on the kind of pornography and liquor bottles and more in the apartment when they first acquired it. Later that day, one of our youth had the strongest impression as she was clearing out soggy, dirty drywall stripped from the walls, that they we clearing the last of the darkness from this space so it can now be used by God for good.

The work was dirty and strenuous but our group kept wanting to go back 3 days in a row. It felt like there was more work we could get done. We thought it was about the physical work but God- as He often does- had another purpose. On the 2nd day, a man introduced himself as a Pastor who had purchased 2 apartments on the block. He was grateful and encouraged to discover that God had called others in what will become a reclaiming of that neighborhood. On the third day, something wonderful happened…

First- even the drug dealers on the corner acknowledged our presence in a friendly way. Later the neighborhood kids showed up.  As our crew carried debris to the dumpster, kids approached to find out what they were doing there. One of our youths was wearing a t-shirt with a triangle design on the front. One of the younger kids- still being intrigued by our presence, wanted to know if she was a “Super-Hero”. It was the kind of sweet moment of admiration from a child that would make a person feel a little like a Super-Hero for a minute.  While taking a break on the front steps, we shared water and granola bars and talked to the kids about where our group was from and why they were there. When the break was over, these kids told our youth- “we want to be like you when we grow up!” On a street with drug dealers and prostitutes operating in plain view- this declaration meant so much to our youth.  It was confirmation that we are all, in fact, “doing ministry” even when we don’t know it.

If we had just worked on the one day planned, we would have gone home having done some useful work for our host… but we wouldn’t have been an encouragement to the pastor who came the second day. If we had just gone 2 days, that pastor would have known God was sending others… but we would not have interacted with the neighborhood kids. Because we said ‘Yes’ to the feeling that we should go back yet again– those kids we met were able to see a different way of being a young person.  So often, ministry is about showing up. God confirmed that on day 3 and used our presence to remind others that He is present with them, even in a not-so-good neighborhood in Chicago. God is just that Good.

Submitted by Pat and Gordon Burrows