Yesterday I had a unique experience.

I was in Chicago giving a talk at the Irish American Heritage Centre. Things were a bit slow yesterday morning, so I jumped at the opportunity to see a bit of the city. The highlight was attendance at a church service. Yes, you read that right – a church service!

But this wasn’t any old church service. The church was Trinity United Church of Christ, located on Chicago’s south side. This church made the headlines during the American presidential election, when Obama’s associations with it and with its former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, became fodder for Obama’s opponents.

While my attendance did nothing to change my stance on religion, it did afford me the opportunity to experience the energy and passion of gospel music and a rousing sermon. And I couldn’t help notice – the very last word in the service was “peace.”

Thanks, Lokke and Deborah, for making this possible. It was one of those "spots in time" that will always stay with me.