We Ran Where Jesus Walked - May 30th

Every day has been a phenomenal adventure that none of us would trade for even a great week at work; we have seen things up close and personal that before seemed like unreal places from Sunday School class or places where Aladdin and Indiana Jones were the only spring boards or reference points for our imaginations. The Bible is certainly no more true to us today than it was two weeks ago, but the words and stories will forever have more color and life than they ever did before. Each day seems to get better and better, however today began the leg of our trip that our pilgrimage is all about.

We are staying in a Kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee so naturally we were all excited to actually “walk where Jesus walked” – however our sweet guide Rolli wants to be sure we walk everywhere He walked and still have time for a watermelon bust in the afternoon so today we ran where Jesus walked. We got it all in and all the same it was incredible.

The day began with a morning ride on a real, authentic, Jesus Boat complete with a certificate to hang on our fridge or wall when we return. All jokes aside, the time on the Sea of Galilee was impressive. The water was still and calm, the morning sun continued to make its way up to heat the day, and the fisherman were bringing in their nets just as they did in Jesus’ time. As a result, it was easy to imagine how things might have been on a similar morning 2,000 years ago. From the Sea of Galilee --which truly is just a very large lake -- we could see the different places where Jesus walked and taught such as the Mt of Beatitudes and Capernaum. While on the boat, Bro. Gunnerson shared from both Matthew and Luke the different events that happened right on the water including the calling of Peter, James, and John; the calming of the sea; and when Christ walked on the water.

About seventeen years ago the water in the Sea of Galilee had dropped considerably and two fishermen came across an old nail in the mud. As they looked further, they discovered a boat that had been buried under water and mud for 2,000 years. In a museum for the “Jesus Boat” a cute little man named “Heim” told us the incredible story for how they recovered the boat and restored its integrity. The process which included foam and fish took over 10 years before it could be displayed as it is today. It is 10 am now, but before we leave the museum many take care of their ice cream on a stick habit. Apparently the cravings are starting earlier each day.

Back on the bus, “Fast Eddie” kept us on schedule by quickly navigating the obnoxiously large tour bus through the small, narrow, streets of Galilee as if racing the Grand Prix in Monaco. Nevertheless, we arrived safely at the Mt. of Beatitudes and “Fast Eddie” has duly earned all of our respect. Once off the bus, many get their second ice cream of the day and are glad that Christ did most of his teaching and/or miracles by gift shops and restrooms.

The traditional site for the Mt of Beatitudes is ran by the Catholic Church and the cute little nuns opened up a special garden just for us to sit in and have a testimony meeting looking out over the Sea of Galilee. The view was a bit obscure due to heavy dust blowing in from the Sahara Desert, but the experience was unforgettable. Katie sang “I Walked Where Jesus Walked”, a song she has sung many times with her father before, but never actually in the Holy Land. It was obvious the opportunity touched her and without a doubt it touched all of us. Michael, Amanda, and Mandy each shared their testimonies and insights that gave voice to the feelings we were all experiencing. We could not stay long, so it was difficult to really let it sink in as we had to hurry back to the bus to continue our trek.

From here we took a little detour off Christ’s footpath and went up to the Golan Heights and the Gadot Lookout previously held by the Syrians. On the way there, Rolli pointed out the signs that warned of field mines and did her best to help us understand some of the conflict and unrest in the region. We had plenty of questions and she did a remarkable job answering them in a very objective way. She is a fascinating lady, born Hindu, raised in a Catholic School, became a born-again Christian, speaks seven languages and has lived as a converted Jew in Jerusalem for the last 20 years.

During the conflict when the Syrians used the bunkers they would randomly shoot the Israeli farmers and even children in the marshy valley below. An Israeli spy had befriended Syrian leaders well enough that the Assyrian General took him up to see “the boys” up on the hill. Once there, the spy commented to the General that the boys looked very hot and that it was a shame they had no protection from the sun. The spy suggested they plant fast-growing eucalyptus trees by each of the bunkers so the boys would have protection from the relentless sun. The General thought it was a fantastic idea and they did just that. The spy went back to Israel and reported that soon anywhere there was a eucalyptus tree there would be a Syrian bunker. Very clever – Israel eventually won back the Golan Heights, but they spy was later captured and hung.

We hurried back on the bus and next learned about the Druse with whom we would be having lunch. “Fast Eddie” called ahead to make arrangements while Rolli told us that the Druse were a secret religious group that was really a conglomeration of nearly every religion on the earth today. Their roots originate in Islam, but they believe in the Jewish and Christian prophets. The very orthodox Druse wear all black with white head coverings and only those committed to living the religion really learn all of the secrets. They were very kind people and our lunch was a choice of Falafel or a large crepe-type Iraqi bread filled with goat cheese and Zatar (an olive oil hyssop) or others ventured to fill it with chocolate. Mmmmmmm. It was a hit with all those brave enough to try it.

After lunch, we went to Capernaum. Considering the purpose of our pilgrimage, and the amount of time that Christ spent here, this was to be the real highlight of the day. It was amazing to be in the place where Christ performed more miracles than any other city, however we were maintaining our sprint pace and it was difficult to really digest it.

Many of us can feel the days winding down and our jobs and real lives looming ahead. We crave the opportunity to really absorb all that we have taken in, but are so grateful to even have the chance to see what we have seen. And we admit that we have been going so hard that we appreciate the efforts made by Rolli, “Fast Eddie” and Alan to get us back to the Sea of Galilee in time for a little watermelon and fun in the water. Many, like Jessica, did tricks off the pier and awaited their scores from the judges. Jodi successfully learned to dive, but got a black eye from her last belly flop. Don’t worry, it is healing nicely. Others were content to take photos of themselves walking on the Sea of Galilee.

We finished the night with a trip to a diamond factory. Some tried on jewelry worth up to $40,000 dollars, but disappointed the clerks when they took out their cameras instead of their wallets to capture the moment. Finally, we finished the night off, with yes, you guessed it . . . one last round of ice cream!!!