Why is that? I'm sitting at my local Starbucks right now, tapping away on my laptop, taking the occasional sip of my venti hot chocolate. Does atmosphere really play that big of a role in sensing God's presence for me? Maybe so.
Several
years ago, my wife and I took a trip to the UK. We spent several days
in Edinburgh on that trip, staying with friends. We did the usual
tourist stuff, up and down the Royal Mile in the heart of the old city.
I fell in love with St Giles cathedral. Built between 1400 and 1492
(when Columbus sailed for America! Not that that is germane, but it
gives an historical reference point). The cathedral was used as a
place of worship, an indoor market, and abandoned at various times over
the last 500 years. It was also a place of revolution and a place of
conformity at intervals. The church I visited had high vaulted
ceilings, in the Gothic style, with both gargoyles and saints looking
down from on high. The sanctuary itself was massive and open. Along
each side were little chapels; some big enough for dozens, others for
just one of two. The picture attached to this blog entry is from
Chamber's Chapel there at St Giles.
I took
most of one day to explore and meditate in St Giles. Reflecting on the
architecture, the history- Knox preached there!- I felt connected with
God. I know a lot of that has to do with my personality. Big spaces
draw me in and closer to God. For others, time in nature, or in music,
or with large crowds help them sense God's presence. But for me, being
alone in an old, large building is like spiritual meat and potatoes.
So why does Starbucks do the same thing for me?
The
Starbucks I'm in now is new, small, well lit. There are several people
in ones and two sitting around tables sipping coffee. This is nothing
like St Giles. The only common threads I can identify are the
following: God is in both places, I was/ am in both places, and I was/
am really relaxed in both. I guess my mood affects my sense of God's
presence. "Wow! What an insight! Andre has just discovered what
every follower of Jesus already knew- mood impacts awareness of God."
But what is the next step? To somehow project my sense of God into
whatever environment I am, so that the car, the street, and even the
mall become St Giles and Starbucks to me.
I
remember having a coffee with a young woman who went away for a year to
Spain. Someone had given her a Bible just before she left. The
adjustment to the culture was difficult for her, so she would take the
Bible and go down to the beach to sit and read and think and journal.
She met God that year. In the old evangelical sense, she "got saved"
that year. When she came back to Canada, I was taken with her
serenity. I sensed God just being in the same room with her. Somehow,
she was able to take the beach, and project that atmosphere into every
situation she found herself. I asked how she did it. She said, "I
know in a deep and satisfying way that God loves me. That's all I need
to know." All this, without setting foot in a church. I envy her.
Where
do you connect with God? What atmosphere chases away the distractions,
and allows Gods presence to fill your soul and your environment? How
do you take God's presence into every situation? What hinders you?
Jump into the discussion by clicking the comment link below.
Peace.
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