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Sea
of Galilee a tranquil spot
By GRACE HOUSHOLDER
Of all the sites that Christians visit in their quest to "walk
where Jesus walked" the Sea of Galilee is the most
authentic, according to Naim Khoury.
A Christian Palestinian, Naim (pronounced NYE-EEM) has 35
years of experien ce as a guide and
archeologist.
Only six miles wide and 12 miles long, the "sea"
upon which Jesus walked looks more like a large lake. It is fed
by springs from three countries - Lebanon, Israel and Syria -
and provides about a fourth of Israel's water. The
River Jordan flows south out of the Sea of Galilee and onward
to the Dead Sea.
Israelis refer to the Sea of Galilee as Yam Kinneret; St.
John also calls it the Sea of Tiberias, and St. Luke refers
to Lake Gennesaret. Most of Jesus' ministry was confined to the
north half of the Sea of Galilee, which in his
day had about seven towns and a thriving fishing industry. Today
about a dozen churches around the sea
commemorate various times in Jesus' ministry.
Today only a small quantity of fish (mostly called "St.
Peter's fish") are caught in the Sea of Galilee, and they
are
consumed locally.
We approached the Sea of Galilee via Tabgha, the traditional
site of the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus'
resurrection appearance to the disciples when he cooked breakfast
for them after they had been fishing all night.
A beautiful church built by the Italians overlooks the Sea
of Galilee and the Mount of the Beatitudes, where
Jesus is thought to have given the Sermon on the Mount.
As we went down the "mountain" (actually it's more
like a large hill) we followed a rather steep, dusty and
sometimes stony path. About halfway down the Rev. Rick Rittmaster,
the Lutheran pastor from Bloomington,
Minn., who was leading our tour, found a spot under an olive
tree. We seated ourselves on rocks or in the dusty
brush and listened as a member of our group read Matthew 5, 6
and 7. It was quiet except for her voice, the
chirping of birds and the gurgling of water in a small stream
behind us.
Of all the sites we visited during our 13 days in Israel and
Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and the hills beside it were
among the most peaceful. It was easy to transport myself back
2,000 years to Jesus' time. We were there in
mid-November, the time when local people await anxiously for
the life-giving rain that will end the nine-month
dry season and bring color to the parched hills and valleys.
The sky was brilliant blue. The sea was calm,
covered with a slight haze that added to the ethereal feeling.
The only sounds were small groups of tourists
scampering among the rocks at the water's edge or singing hymns
in secluded locations.
Arrangements had been made for our group of 21 Lutherans to
go out on a wooden boat and have communion.
The boat was constructed to give the feel of a fishing boat.
Shortly after we found our seats, the captain went to the
stern and started raising the American flag beside the
Israeli flag. Then all of a sudden we heard a tinny recording
of the "Star-Spangled Banner!" Trying to hide my
amusement, I looked around, wondering what to do. Should I stand
up and put my hand over my heart? At
about the same time everyone else had the same question, so the
pastor stood up and we all followed his lead.
That evening when we were discussing the flag incident, about
half the group said it had been very meaningful
for them. The other half wasn't so sure.
When we were in the middle of the sea, with a light mist partially
shrouding the Golan Heights on the other side,
Rev. Rittmaster asked the captain to turn off the engine. We
sat on the boat, in total silence except for the sound
of the water gently slapping the edges of the hull. There was
not another boat in sight, nor could we see anything
on the shores.
Naim had told us that the sea is not always calm. Storms can
arise quickly, as they did when Jesus was in a boat
with the disciples and a "furious squall came up and the
waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly
swamped." Jesus, who had been sleeping in the stern, was
awakened by the disciples. He "rebuked the wind and
said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!'" and the disciples
marveled and said "Even the winds and the waves obey
him!" (Mark 4:37-41)
After a Bible reading from Mark 4 and silent prayer, Rev.
Rittmaster served communion.
There was more time for quiet reflection. Then the captain
turned the motor back on and took us to the kibbutz
on the other side of the sea where we enjoyed "St. Peter's
fish." We ate outdoors beneath the serene-looking
Golan Heights, disputed land between Israel and Syria that is
patrolled by United Nations peacekeeping troops.
Formally annexed by Israel in 1981, the Golan Heights, which
rise steeply over the waters on which Jesus
walked, are a bargaining chip in Israel's efforts to obtain a
lasting peace with Syria.
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