In Search of the Rock of Our Salvation Church

My eldest daughter went with the IVCF to do some volunteer work at the Afro-American Rock Church on the West side of Chicago last December. So I decided to find out what it is like, since I happened to be in Chicago on Sunday.

It is almost at the end of the Green Line of the Metro. As it was Easter Sunday, there were few passengers when I boarded the Metro in the Loop in downtown.

The train was clean and free of graffiti. Even though the few passengers were all Afro-Americans as the train moved away from downtown, I wasn’t worried.

I noticed that as we travelled further West, there were more and more run down, deserted buildings and broken windows. At some point, I began to ask myself whether it was wise to continue. However, the passengers looked like decent people and no one was paying me particular attention. There was a mother with two girls in pretty dresses - it seemed like they were going to church. And the streets outside looked relatively clean, so I stayed on.

I got off at the station on North Central Street, and walked three blocks South to get to the church. There were some people talking outside apartment blocks; all Afro-Americans, of course. A young girl was walking leisurely along; that gave me some assurance that it was probably not a dangerous neighbourhood. Nobody tried to approach or follow me. Still, I walked quickly, with my head down, and avoid eye contact, although I was watching everyone around me from the corner of my eyes. I figured if anything should happen, I could run towards the church, which should be safe.

The church is actually in an old school house at a street corner. I had checked out the location and some photographs from Google Map before, so I recognized it from a distance. A black man in a striped suit greeted me at the entrance. I felt relieved and excited at the same time.

More on the service later.