God In Chicago

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