Groovin' in Galilee...

DAY THREE MOUNT BEATITUDES TO SAILING ON THE SEA OF GALILEE

 

[Photos posted today are of our fearless tour staff: (L to R) Bill Pierce, Betty Ann Boeving, Patti Pierce and our wonderful local guide, Andre. Photo two shows the "Jesus boat" that we sailed on-- it's an enlarged replica of the ship archeologistics found in the mud of this Galilee region, which dates back to the time Jesus carried out his ministry here.]

 

Today starts at an early 6:30 am when our hotel rooms ring with the necessary wake-up call that assures we will get out of bed before noon. Jet lag today is mostly a memory of times gone by with most of the group sleeping well this second night. A large 7-station breakfast buffet greets us with colorful arrangements of fruit, yogurt, coffee and tea along with the unexpected additions of eggplant, sweet potatoes with Belgian cheese (similar to feta) as well as an array of cakes and muffins along with nutella, the tasty chocolate spread, for those with an "eat dessert first" mentality on life.

 

An 8 am departure takes us first to the Mount Beatitudes, where it is believed that Jesus gave his most poignant sermon of his 3-year ministry. A beautful church and garden adorns the hilltop site. Highlights for our group include sitting on a smattering of large rocks and listening to Patti teach, then we joined group member, Maeve, now coined "the singer," in a round of "Amazing Grace." All the while, we hear at least three to five other groups around us singing hymns and praying in various languages. With the birds chirping in the palm trees above us and the winds off of the Sea of Galilee coming up the mountain to tossle our hair and refresh our senses with the aroma of the area's grasses and diverse biology (that is very similar to that of Northern California) we had an array of visual and aromatic delights for our senses to absorb.

 

We walked down the steep hill on a dirt path to the lake's edge and along the way took in panoramic views of the Sea of Gailee in front of us, the hills of Golan heights to our left and the coastal town of Tiberius (where we are staying) to our right. We were amazed at how our voices carried up the hillside and a person speaking at the base of the hill could be heard at least 50 yards uphill. Clearly an orator such as Jesus could have been heard, speaking in a regular voice, to a crowd of thousands. This was a remarkable feat of physics that we didn't think possible until we actually tested out this natural auditorium for ourselves.

 

All WellSpring pilgrims enjoyed putting our feet in the waters of the Sea of Galilee in the area rich with fish and most likely the site of where disciples such as Peter, James and John may have been fishing off this coastline when Jesus invited them to become "fishers of men." Our group also enjoyed seeing the Church of the Loaves and Fishes that was adorned with magnificently colored bouganvilleas and a flame tree from Arica that dazzled with red flowers amidst its cool shade producing foliage. Here was believed to be the site where Jesus multiplied the two fish and five loaves to feed over 5,000 people.

 

Lunch was something to write home about because it consisted of homemade falafel served in warm, handmade pita pockets adorned with cucumbers, lettuce and a signature Mediterranean yogurt sauce. A midday cruise on the "Jesus boat" replica took us out to the center of the Sea of Galilee. While afloat on the Sea, we enjoyed worship music blasting through the speakers onboard. The trip was complete with Israeli folks songs played by the crew as they taught us traditional dances as the ship swayed to and fro. Smiles abounded on our group of pigrims as the ship docked and we continued along the coastline by bus. 

 

Afternoon temperatures reached 95 degrees today as we traveled to another coastal town, the ancient town of Capernaum, home to the apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. Here palm trees abound amidst the ancient ruins that have been uncovered to reveal a small village of homes, artisan shops and an impressive temple where Jesus would have taught on a regular basis. The home of Peter's mother-in-law has been identified here and a Byzantine church existed over it in centuries following the life of Jesus. Now there is a Franciscan church that has been built in a suspended fashion above these layers of signficant dwellings. This building has been built in the shape of and with materials resembling solid rock, just as Peter was known as "the Rock" who brought the message of Jesus to the world with the message that this truth was for everyone, not just Israel.

 

Lastly, our fabulous bus driver, Ahmed, adeptly drove us up the windy roads leading to Mt. Arbel whose sheer rock face resembles that of the upper portions of Yosemite's breath-taking El Capitan. Indeed, at the summit, the 360 degree view of the Galilee region took our breaths away...this was aided by the shock of 40-mile-an-hour wind guts that threaten to send our sun hats to become permanent souvenirs on the valley floor far below. At the summit, we were encouraged to take time to reflect on a very memorable day by enjoying time in silence to look down upon sites just visited. This helped us internalize what we had experienced with our senses and emotions at sites which before today had been only places know to us by reading about them on the pages of Scripture. There is an African proverb that states "when you pray, use your feet." Now we have walked where Jesus walked. With sand in our toes from the beach today and knots in our hair from the ever-present wind, our group unwinds tonight holding these memories dear as we each reflect on the daily life and ministry of Jesus.