Churches and synagogues

St Stephens Basilica, Szent István, is said to be the most beautiful cathedral/church in Budapest, and it is really stunning. I can't say if it is the most beautiful, as I haven't been to the others, but yes, I like it, and it IS beautiful. My dear friend and I attended a service. I love attending services when I am abroad. Not just churches for that matter, other services too, with the highest respect, if it isn't a church I stay more in the background and just observe as the other traditions aren't something I am completely familiar with, and I don't want to insult anyone, but the atmosphere is so meditative.

I can't believe that God is insulted, if you come to a temple for the right reasons, and you enjoy the moment together with other people, and show them respect. I don't believe in a god who forces us to chose sides and reject any other human beings.

But there are things I don't do, like taking the communion when I am in a catholic church, for the simple reason that they have different belief in what happens at communion, that the bread and wine is really turned into the body and blood of Christ in your body, while it for the Protestants etc is more a symbolic gesture. And there are other examples too.

Anyhow, the Basilica: it was a special experience! The service was held in Hungarian, but the pattern was not unlike what you'd see in a Swedish church, which means it was easy to follow. The only surprise was that it was such a solemn, as if it was the time before Easter and not the time before Christmas, which is supposed to be a happy time, waking for the birthday of Christ, not the death. Although yes, the death is supposedly also something positive, as he died for our sins an all of that, but you know what I mean. Also, there were no hymns in the service, it was just singing of the written words.

And then on Monday when I was all alone and the last person from our little group, my friend and two friends of her, had left the city I went to the synagogue next to the Jewish museum. It's the second biggest synagogue in the world, something that surprised me, only New York is bigger. And New York is not bigger in number of seats, it's just the building that is bigger.

The synagogue is a masterpiece - but confusing enough it is very similar to a church! The reason is partly, we learned, because it was designed by two men that were not Jews, but I always find similarities between churches, mosques and synagogues anyhow. This one has some special features though, like a big organ. And by that I mean the musical instrument, obviously...

Anyhow; Due to the organ this synagogue is not used by the Orthodox Jews, on the sabbath, the day for rest, no one should work, and that includes the person who is handling the organ... So there is yet another synagogue in Budapest, but that one I never visited -the museum and the big synagogue was plenty.

And yes, it was cold!

The strongest impression from the synagogue and museum was however not the synagogue but the simple Raoul Wallenberg monument, for the Swede who saved thousands and thousands of Hungarian Jews during the second world war. That really made an impression! It's a very small monument, and the guide didn't tell us much about it, but being Swedish it brought out a special feeling of pride.