On Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, I was assigned to cover ceremonies in downtown Naperville to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Before that kicked off, though, I had to make a stop at Mt. Olive Church of God in Christ in Aurora to grab a few snaps of its bishop during a birthday celebration in his honor.
Being incredibly under-dressed for the occasion probably made me stick out like a sore thumb more than simply carrying two large cameras usually does, but I felt welcomed. Never having use for much religion, I have never really witnessed people filled with such spirit and raw emotion during prayer — let alone get the chance to rock out to a blues guitarist as he ripped a 15-minute shred session during the service. If I didn't have another assignment later that morning there's a good chance I would spent the rest of that day reveling in the celebration.
