Constant noise
I have been to many such cities all over the world, traveling with my husband. From New York to Calcutta, from Mexico City to Cairo, and from Kuala Lumpur to Santiago de Chile.
Change of scenery
In order to escape the chaos we would often enter a church, even at a time when we were not really interested in finding God. The change of scenery and atmosphere when we stepped into a church or cathedral was often dramatic. Just one step would take us from total mayhem to serene silence.
Kingdom atmosphere
I have read somewhere that the architects and builders of many old churches purposely wanted to create a Kingdom atmosphere (in sharp contrast with the world outside) where the peace of God ruled and where beauty and art were the norm. Somewhat like in Biblical times when David wrote:
I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where Your glorious presence dwells.
You can find this in Psalm 26;8. Some translations say: the house, the temple, the dwelling where You live. I don't know what David had in mind, there was no temple at that time. A sanctuary, a tabernacle... it doesn't really matter how we picture it; it is the place where His presence dwells (abides).
Our body, our responsibility
Today I was thinking about how blessed we are to live in a time and era where God's presence is with us, all the time... well, if you believe in Jesus. Our body is a house of God (a temple) where the Holy Spirit lives. We carry Him within, wherever we go (1 Corinthians 6:19). We don't have to wait till Sunday to meet with Him 😁
This privilege gives us responsibility as well. We must take good care of our temple, since we belong to God, no longer to ourselves.
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👉 In my book 'In My Name' I discuss the presence of God in more detail!