last tuesday was a dizzying day spent visiting numerous holy sites of the christian faith in the galilee; we made seven stops in all to places commemorating the events and miracles of jesus' ministry in this region. we first visited kibbutz ginossar, where they have a first century fishing boat on display that was discovered when the waters of the galilee had receded and was semi-recently excavated. it has earned the nickname "the jesus boat" as it is said that it very well could be a boat that he had utilized at some point during his life. at the very least, it's just like those common during his time on earth.
we went for a boat ride on the sea of galilee, though we were on a much more modern boat. :) strangely, as we pulled away from the shore, the men operating the boat raised an american flag and played the star spangled banner. this has to have been one of the strangest juxtapositions i've experienced on the trip. they told us to stand up and sing, out of respect for the flag, though many of us chose not to -- the "flag" was a small piece of fabric that was printed only on one side, and the touristy nature of it all made it rather farcical. i wasn't quite sure how they viewed this as patriotic or moving for those of us onboard.
the boat ride itself provided the opportunity to get a sense of this place and imagine the history that has passed through it. it is easy to see why jesus and his followers would have spent time here -- the landscape is beautiful and provides an escape from other areas. this would be the place to rest, relax, and rejuvenate as i discovered for myself.
of the other stops along our route, i enjoyed being on the mount of the beatitudes the most. the church, constructed on the sight where jesus gave his famous speech, sits on top of a high hill overlooking the sea of galilee and is surrounded by gardens. arnie read the eight blessings from matthew, and i pondered the messages held within, both for those listening at the time of jesus proclaiming the words himself and for those of us present here today.
blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of god -- there are many people on both sides of this issue striving for peace and justice and human rights. in my mind, it doesn't matter whether one sees the palestinians as right or wrong in their struggle. rather, it matters that we see them as fellow human beings deserving of the same human rights entitled to each of us. yes, there have been atrocities committed on both sides of this conflict. however, more of us need to strive for an attitude of being peacemakers and, more importantly, living that attitude in our words, interactions, and choices we make on a daily basis.
last tuesday was a dizzying day spent visiting numerous holy sites of the christian faith in the galilee; we made seven stops in all to places commemorating the events and miracles of jesus' ministry in this region. we first visited kibbutz ginossar, where they have a first century fishing boat on display that was discovered when the waters of the galilee had receded and was semi-recently excavated. it has earned the nickname "the jesus boat" as it is said that it very well could be a boat that he had utilized at some point during his life. at the very least, it's just like those common during his time on earth.
we went for a boat ride on the sea of galilee, though we were on a much more modern boat. :) strangely, as we pulled away from the shore, the men operating the boat raised an american flag and played the star spangled banner. this has to have been one of the strangest juxtapositions i've experienced on the trip. they told us to stand up and sing, out of respect for the flag, though many of us chose not to -- the "flag" was a small piece of fabric that was printed only on one side, and the touristy nature of it all made it rather farcical. i wasn't quite sure how they viewed this as patriotic or moving for those of us onboard.
the boat ride itself provided the opportunity to get a sense of this place and imagine the history that has passed through it. it is easy to see why jesus and his followers would have spent time here -- the landscape is beautiful and provides an escape from other areas. this would be the place to rest, relax, and rejuvenate as i discovered for myself.
of the other stops along our route, i enjoyed being on the mount of the beatitudes the most. the church, constructed on the sight where jesus gave his famous speech, sits on top of a high hill overlooking the sea of galilee and is surrounded by gardens. arnie read the eight blessings from matthew, and i pondered the messages held within, both for those listening at the time of jesus proclaiming the words himself and for those of us present here today.
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