Wonder, heartbreak, hope. As I have come to know the city of Chicago, my eyes have been opened to these concepts more and more. In my hometown and my college town, both small and rural, I these see as well, but not on the levels I encounter them here. At home I often experience more wonder and more hope and less heartbreak.
All around us wonder can be found, especially in the Windy City. A sense of wonder can be experienced in the beauty of creation in both the natural and the man-made world. We look around us and we see a large city filled with buildings, people, cars, trains, animals, and so much more all living together in one area. There is a unique harmony as all of these things share space with each other and, for the most part, it works. Looking from above or maybe on a map, we can see the layout of the city. We can see each block and how the city is organized. The design of the city is a wonder all in itself. We look at the buildings and cannot help but marvel at the uniqueness of each one. Some, like the Tribune Tower, are built from beautiful stone and decorated with exquisite carvings or statues. Some, like the Willis Tower, are built with black iron and stand out and above the rest of them. Some, like the Merchandise Mart, are built to be massive, yet elegant. The patterns and geometry of the Mart are hard to miss. Others are built to stand out like the Champagne building, the green building with the gold top, or the building that looks like it has a Greek or Roman temple on the top floors. Still others are made of mostly glass, standing in unique shapes, reflecting the blues and greens of the sky and the water, reminding us of Lake Michigan and the Chicago river. Wonder is seen in the diversity of the city. Chicago is made up of about 77 unique and diverse neighborhoods, each offering something special. They boast unique people groups, food, music, and so much more. They make for fun adventures and great experiences in learning about different cultures. Wonder can also be seen in the people that make up this beautiful city. Different people from across the globe come to Chicago to work, live, and play. They each bring something new to the city and make it an exciting place to live. One of the biggest wonders I see in the city is the opportunity. There is opportunity for anyone who wants it, and it is just waiting to be seized. If you can dream it, you can almost certainly make it happen here.
The wonder in Chicago is abundant, but I have come to see heartbreak is as well. I expected to encounter some difficulty coming into this semester, but I have also seen it in new ways I did not expect too. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of heartbreak is the homelessness that can be seen throughout the city. It is hard to go anywhere in the city without seeing a man or woman or even a child sitting on the street having to ask for help. It truly is heart-wrenching to have to walk by these brothers and sisters, not being able to offer at least something every time. There is also the separation of the social classes. We have the homeless populations on the streets, while, at the same time, there are men and women making millions of dollars in top floor corner offices or high-rise firms. There is even a middle class that is living comfortably, but we see little interaction or help from either of these classes to the lower or zero income classes. There are charities and organizations that do provide assistance, but so much more could be done. We even see this in the different neighborhoods throughout the city. There are some neighborhoods, many on the southside, that simply do not get the resources they are needing. For various reason, those resources are being allocated elsewhere leaving these neighborhoods and people struggling even more. The other big heartbreak I have come to see has been the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the city. While I think there has been much recovery in the last few months, I also see stores and restaurants that could not survive and had to close. I see people who are afraid to interact with others or even leave their homes because they are worried about becoming ill. I see people, even families, divided because of differences in opinion over the COVID-19 policies and vaccines. This pandemic has put many to the test and has profoundly changed many of the ways people interact now.
This semester has been full of wonder and heartbreak. I do not remember seeing much heartbreak at home, however, maybe I was just unaware of it around me. I feel I now have a wider perspective and will be more clearly able to see these at home. It is not that I want to see heartbreak but being able to identify it will make it easier to see what can be done to correct it. Heartbreak is not ideal, but from heartbreak comes hope for a better tomorrow and from hope comes wonder. Therefore, if we want to continue to see wonder, we must continue to hold onto and strive for hope each and every day, no matter where we are. For those of us who believe, we are fortunate to know heartbreak is not eternal, but JESUS IS! As Revelation 21:4 states, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away." There will be no more disease. There will be no more injustice. There will be no more division because Jesus is greater than all of that. We have faith and hope that when He returns He will heal our world, but until that day, we must continue to hope and to pray. We must continue to be examples of Him so others can see that hope in us and know that, one day, we will only know wonder and hope, and heartbreak will be a stranger.
*This post is based off an assignment I completed for my Professional Seminar class and an article titled Wonder, Heartbreak, Hope by Gideon Strauss.