Out There & In Here

It’s not the architecture, the incense or the stained glass, or – if you’re lucky – a sense of the mystery of life: and it’s not the clergy either.

It’s more that there’s nothing like a good church in a foreign country for getting a sense of where you are, and finding out who else is there too.

If you’re in a big city abroad, going to a chuch service ( or better still, to a social occasion after one) is an excellent way of mixing with people, and very quick and handy if you’re travelling around and feel a bit lonely, even if you don’t have any religious affiliations or beliefs. You can contribute your own participation and presence to any congregation or communtiy, and you’ll get a nice welcome in return.

Going to church abroad is also less stressful than fabricating your best self online, scrolling through dating apps, or sitting awkwardly at Meetups or Internations social events, hoping someone will speak to you or worse, that you don’t have to sit beside someone dull. And if you’re in a country where Christianity is a minority religion (in some places there are secret churches with whispered addresses ), you’ll come across a certain type of person, maybe not the type you normally meet.

The Church of Scotland in Rome, for example, has a lovely congregation and a great terrace with views overlooking the entire city. You’ll get a good international chat up there after the Sunday service. Same if you go to St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi, where it’s easy to fall in with all kinds of people after mass. Then there’s the beautiful St Andrews Church in Tangier ( painted by Matisse ), where you’ll get a warm chat with young Mauritanians and Liberians – along with the local literati – in the garden in its bright sunlight after the service.