Honest questions about Jesus, asked in Chicago.

Chicago has churches on countless corners, yet a building can never substitute for following Jesus. Ask the difficult questions. Scripture does not tell anyone to repeat a sinner’s prayer, and it does not call disciples to sit through meetings forever. Jesus calls people to take up the cross daily and love as He loved.

Lake Michigan shapes Chicago weather and its sense of direction. So do the Dan Ryan, the river, freight tracks, and decades of segregation. Uptown has new arrivals and people sleeping outside within a few blocks of expensive apartments. Pilsen and Little Village carry Mexican history; Devon Avenue crosses languages quickly; South Shore and Roseland have deep neighborhood networks that outsiders often overlook. Winter cold makes reliable care urgent.

Chicago is too large to treat like one neighborhood. A table in Rogers Park will feel different from one in Little Village, Bronzeville, Austin, or Pullman. The L joins parts of the city, but long rides and old boundaries still keep neighbors apart.

Following Jesus here starts nearby. Read His words with a few people, share an actual meal, baptize believers safely, and notice who needs help on your block. Nobody is paid and nobody collects money.