Cathedral Contrasts

On Saturday, I was fortunate to have a 'child free' day and some time to please myself. I was booked into a morning workshop on London's south bank and then had the rest of the day at my disposal.
I chose first of all to spend some time in Southwark Cathedral. I'd never visited this cathedral before and was eager to see the mix of old and new in the development of the building. I arrived as a priest was about to lead a short period of Prayer, he asked us to join him saying the Lord's prayer in our own languages, it all seemed so comforting and familiar. There were several stands of lit votive candles and these, together with a beautifully painted tomb and impressive carvings behind the altar added to this homely ambience..you could sense the centuries of worship that had been offered there.
I then walked along the embankment popping briefly into the Tate Modern and Bankside galleries and then passing an interesting array of street entertainers before crossing the River, stopping for a drink and some lunch in St. James' Park ( managing to spray myself with the hyperactive contents of a bottle of Coke) and then on to Wesminster Cathedral. I wanted to make a purchase in the book shop there but also to consider the contrast between the cathedrals of the two denominations.
Westminster Cathedral always manages to remain primarily an place of prayer although there were a fair few sight seers wandering around. The Blessed sacrament was exposed for adoration, I assume in commemoration of the feast of Corpus Christi. I took the oportunity just to sit and to reflect and indeed to watch. I found myself considering the deep geuflections of many of the worshippers, the length of some of their stays, the commitment and the apparant simplicity of thier worship. It never ceases to amaze me how the sacrament draws ones full attention. To one side of the cathedral there was a quiet flurry of activity and a small congregation gathered for a quiet celebration of the Mass in Latin. I was surprised to note just how much silence there was within that Liturgy and the sense of Mystery that emerged, the tangible reverence as each communicant received the host on their tongue, whilst a patten was held beneath their chin. It seemed strange to me that Jesus was silent, still and present in the monstrace on the high altar whilst at the same time he was offered actively in the Mass and yet is still present around and within where ever we are.
The contrasting ways in which God was being revealed on Saturday in those two cathedrals was striking, the homely familiar God of the incarnation in Southwark Cathedral, the focused presence of the transcendent yet imminant God in the Blessed sacrament and the distant yet coming God of the Mass. I'm sure these are all very inaccurate perceptions from a theological point of view but never the less God is revealed in many different ways. I had hoped that spending some reflective time in these two places would bring me closer to deciding in which denomination I should settle on making my christian home but I left aware that God is to be found in many places and ways and that different people will respond to him in the way that is perhapes most meaningful and appropriate to them. Objective truth? well I know that I will never have the knowledege to be able to settle on that for sure.