A Day in Galilee

Instead of a traditional wake up call we were aroused from our beds shortly after we had settled in for the night by an mild earthquake at around 9:45 last night.  It was a 5.5 magnitude, centred in the sea between Cyprus and Lebenon but strong enough to shake our hotel room from very short perorid of time - we checked and this event was not listed in our tour itinerary for the day.  When the day finally started for real we spent most of it in and around the north end of the Sea of Galilee.  It is a beautiful country side with green hills, orchards, fields of flowers and herds of cattle, all against the backdrop of the water.  Today, being the Sabbath it was incredibly quiet with only tourists and those serving them out and about.  We visited Tabgha  site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes and took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  You could actually imagine what it must have looked like to see 5000 people sitting down of these hills for a miraculous lunch prepared by Jesus or to be a fisherman being asked to let down his net by the Saviour.   

Tabgha  (site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes)  

We also visited the site of the Sermon on the Mount.  This was incredibly sacred.  The Catholic church has done an excellent job honouring the site and providing a very sacred place for people to come. Sitting on this mountainside, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, we could imagine Jesus teaching 5000 people who sat patiently on the hillside listening and learning from the Master.  The view of the Sea was beautiful from here...I just wanted to drink it all in!

Sea of Galilee boat ride

Although slightly difficult to see, the valley in the middle of this picture is the known route from Nazareth to Galilee that Jesus would have walked.

 This was probably my most favourite part of the day, although it was pretty quick.  Our tour guide actually kept reminding us that we are visiting the "heart of Christianity", "without Capernaum, there would be no Christianity", and "this place is so important to Christianity".  All of that is true, but we had to laugh because we still had to blow through here in about 25 minutes!!  Visiting the most important place to the start of Christianity in only 25 minutes!!  That would be the story of our tour :)  But, all that said, this was were Jesus came to live when he left Nazareth and began his teaching ministry.  The walls of houses could still be made out, and being there you could pretty much feel that Jesus had walked these roads, had been in and around these houses, and had taught in this synagogue.  It touched my heart and made me realize the enormity of the ground I was walking on.  The whole area...Jesus taught here, he performed a miracle there, he went into Peter's house here, he went away to this mountain over there.  It is all so real, so alive.  I guess that why we came on this trip!

The walls of a home in Jesus' hometown of Capernaum

Inside the new synagogue built in Capernaum.  The glass floor that we are looking at covers over what they believe to be the remains of Peter's house where Jesus went to heal Peter's mother-in-law.

Amy in the waters of the Jordan at the baptism site

In most areas the Jordan River is little more than a creek, but in one location in southern Galilee it widens and deepens enough for people to get baptized which lead to one of the more bizarre events of the day.  Buses of tourists arrive, people purchase robes, line up and are baptized for a cost of $10 a piece.  On that level it seemed little different than a ride on the Vortex roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland full with the opportunity to purchase a picture or video of your baptism and souvenirs at the baptism store.   
Yet on another level this event was profoundly significant for many of those who chose to enter the waters.  Unlike other groups where people seemed to have a recreational approach to the whole matter every one who participated from our tour were prepared and very much saw this as following the example and teaching of Christ and witnessing to their love for him.  Pastor Jake took time to pray with each member of our group.  Then he asked them to profess their faith and commitment to Jesus before baptizing them.  For them this was a profoundly sacred and spiritual moment - so rather than offence, it seemed that the appropriate response was applause.
       

In the late afternoon we came back to the shore of the Galilee, walking in the water and gazing out on the waters that Jesus sailed, slept, taught and walked on.  Tomorrow we are both excited and anxious about the leaving this area.  I can see why Jesus loved being here too and yet his love for us and his mission pushed him on to other towns, to Jerusalem and ultimately to the cross. He still beckons us to come and follow him.

The highlight of the day happened upon our return to the resort when our computer rang and on the other end of our Skpe connection was our boys - Johnathan, Matthew, Eric and Mitchell.   They shared about their wonderfully ordinary week and made us want to reach through the screen and hug them all. We were even homesick for our dog Bowdrie.  It would have taken much for us to jump on a plane home  but we know there is still a week of incredible adventure lying ahead of us here in this incredible land.