From Galilee to Jerusalem

An early morning worship on a blossomed lawn overlooking the Sea of Galilee marked the turning of our group from the slow pace of Tiberius to the unknown of Jerusalem. It is difficult to explain how comfortable one can become with seaside living, its pace and intimate tie to nature. And, there is something ominous about the thought of going to Jerusalem. Did Jesus also feel the discomfort of a departure from his days of teaching, preaching, and healing? Did he feel the tick of the days and the threat to life that comes with taking a stand in association with God and humanity?

A bus delay left us all feeling just a bit of relief in some ways. It was nice to have an extra couple of hours by the sea. When we did depart, Meggido, an ancient and elaborate tell was our first destination today. Meggido or Armageddon represents 27 layers of civilization in ancient Israel that continues to produce treasures of clay and other fragments that reveal the secrets of life as from times before King Solomon. Meggido, now a national park of Israel, was located at a significant juncture on trade route of the Via de Mars. A military outpost, Meggido was a defense station and the "customs center" of the ancient world. At level 17 of the tell, archeologists have found a ancient circle of rocks which served as place of worship for generation after generation of people who sought a place of prayer.

From Meggiddo we traveled to a kebutz, a secular Jewish community where all things are shared in common. This community orignated from the immigration of Chezkloslavakian survivors of the haulocaust. The hospitality and abundance of the meal was filled our bellies while we also pondered the deep costs to the Palestinian natives of the settlement of these dislocated peoples.

Our next stop was Caeserea Maritima, where Herod Antipas had created a luxurious dwelling on the very shores of the Mediteranean Sea. A colleseum, horse track and fresh water pool were only some of the results of Herod's voracious appetite for building and the enslavement of the Jewish people in the century around the life of Christ. The sea was spectacular in its beauty and peacefulness, while the presence of the Israeli Navy off the coast was a reminder to us of a small nation that lives unresolved conflict every day.

The evening of a long day found us at last at our new hotel, the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, a beautiful pilgrim house just outside the walls of Old Jerusalem. For you at home who need contact information, the hotel's phone number is 972-2-627 9111 and it's website may be found at www.notredamecenter.org.

Tonight we'll add pictures to the blog again...I apologize for their absence these last couple of days!

Keep us in your prayers as we do surely keep you in ours.

`Suzan Hawkinson