I mentioned in my earlier 'overview' post that one of the salient facets of the trip being so terrific was our tour guide, Mark. That extends to our exceptional tour coordinator as well. Rick Forcier of Christian Coalition was the tour leader. He is an amazing man - brilliant, modest, loves the Lord, leads by example. He set the tone for the group, and it was an excellent group that bonded well, supported each other, was amicable and a wonderful blend of personalities. There were a few colds, coughs and headaches – and Alice's broken finger – but they were incidental. People were interwoven and connected. It was a delight to be with this particular group of 33 pilgrims. One of the significant factors making it a terrific trip was the people who shared the journey.
Day 1 for most of us started at about 2 a m Wednesday, February 2, when we got up to get to the church by 2:30 a m. Forrest Curtis had arranged for a school bus to take us to the airport in Portland so we didn't have to worry about getting there. About half of us utilized that option - with others going the night before and meeting us there - or meeting us enroute. We flew from Portland to Phoenix; from Phoenix to Philadelphia; from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv.
Day 1 merged into Day 2 on that flight – making Day 2 another travel day. We arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv around 3:05 p m on Thursday, February 3, Israel time. Of course their time is 10 hours ahead of ours, accounting for sleep deprivation for the remainder of the trip! We drove north to the northwestern shore of The Sea of Galilee to Nof Ginosar, where we checked in to their kibbutz-run hotel. We ate. We slept. (And many of us were awake by +-2:30 a m because of being off schedule. That, too, became predictable.)
Day 3 set the pattern for the rest of the tour. We arose at 6 a m, had breakfast, and were on the bus and ready to pull out at 7:30 a m. Usually.
Our first touring day was Friday, February 4. I've already told you that the first place we visited was Caesarea, built by Herod the Great. It was once a great and powerful city. Now it is an archaeological site with the foundation of the ruins of the once great city on display. His palace foundation is a testament to his audacity in challenging the sea, as if he were master even of the Mediterranean, as his palace foundation juts out into the sea. In his day he was a powerful presence. Now all that is left is ruins. He is the bad guy in the story of Jesus, the slaughterer of all the boys under 2 years of age in his rage to kill the King of Kings, the baby born in Bethlehem’s manger, but his life was futile. That reality speaks volumes to me. The quote I learned as a child is true: ‘Only one life ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.’
The areas where chariot races occurred and where humans were forced to fight with wild animals are some of the archaeological finds that have been discovered and uncovered. The amphitheater at Caesarea is also amazing - - and there is an aquaduct that used to be their source of fresh water...but the once powerful and thriving city is a distant history long removed from memory….
Our next stop was Mt Carmel, where there is a statue honoring Elijah's conquest over Jezebel's prophets. On a clear day, you can stand on the veranda constructed above the structure at that site and look out over the Valley of Megiddo where the last battle – the battle of Armageddon – will take place. Not on this trip! It was so foggy we could barely see the railing - but we stood up there anyway, and sang praise to God. Mt Carmel is not a single hill, but a long mountain, so there is no way of knowing exactly where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal – but if not there, near. It is an incredible experience to stand in the same area Bible history occurred, to feel it unfolding, to remember the stories.
Elijah is one of my heroes - - not just for his valor, but for his humanity. After that amazing success, when God consumed the soaked sacrifice he prepared, Elijah didn't acquire status and affirmation, as we'd think he should have. Instead, he ran for fear of his life from a furious Queen Jezebel, hid in a cave, and wished he was dead. I love Elijah for that model. Even when I do precisely what I know the Lord has asked of me, it doesn't always turn out as I think it should should (in fact, it rarely turns out the way I thought it would), and having someone who was such a man of God demonstrate his human frailty gives me courage. It was a fresh reminder for me. All I am required to do is be obedient. I can't dictate the outcome. I'd like to write the script sometimes. But, God is God and I'm not. Nor would I want to be. His plan is best, even when I don't see the hoped-for results.
Our next stop was Megiddo. Drenching rain prevented us from seeing the actual archaeological finds, but fortunately they had a movie and a wonderful display model of the site. There was a group of priests from Spain touring there at the same time. That was a fun addition.
Megiddo was one of Solomon's chariot cities. I was there 5 years ago – in nice weather – so I got to see it once, and was sorry people on this tour didn't have that opportunity, but as the trip progressed we saw things I had never seen before. The best is yet to come!
Our next stop was Nazareth. Specifically, The Church of the Annunciation which commemorates the location where the angel Gabriel came to tell the virgin Mary she was the one chosen to give birth to the Messiah. The church is built right over the house where they believe Mary lived. Amazing Madonna and child art from all over the world adorns the walls of the 2nd level, where the sanctuary is. It is a beautiful structure that leaves me cold. I took a picture of a sign by a Muslim Mosque on my way up the hill. We were reminded repeatedly that once a site is determined to be a holy site, it is holy to multiple religions.
I was particularly touched by the reality that the hills surrounding the area were the hill country Mary went up into to see her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. That was indelibly imprinted on my heart.
Nazareth was Jesus’ childhood home. These were the hills he played in. This is where he learned to be a carpenter – and Mark explained – probably a stonemason. As he would reiterate many times, “Look around. What do you see?” The word we translate as carpenter was actually craftsman. Craftsman included a variety of skills. That was new information for me. I loved the insight.
I won’t mention everything that the Bible mentions about Nazareth – but being here this time wasn’t about the church that is constructed over a supposed site where Mary lived – it was about embracing the visual of the hill region and implanting that memory so what I read becomes visual to me. The first time I was here 5 years ago I was overwhelmed by the fact that every site we visited had a huge church built over the top. Our guides then and now pointed out that if the Catholic Church had not built the churches we wouldn’t have the sites to come visit. Point taken. But – they can be a distraction. That didn’t bother me this year. I had already dealt with that before. This tour I was able to slough away the centuries and embrace the topography and the reminders of the many stories.
Our last stop of the day was back at the Kibbutz – with a visit to the Nof Ginosar Museum to see the ‘Ancient Galilee Boat’ from Jesus’ time that was uncovered along the Galilee in their area when the water level of the lake got so low that a bit of it showed through the mud. We saw a movie of how they preserved it, and saw the remains of the boat. Jesus and/or his disciples could have ridden in this very boat. I even thought about the possibility that he might have built it – but Nazareth is about 15 miles from the water, so that isn’t as likely, I suppose, but still fun to think about possibilities….
Our very full and delightful day ended with the buffet dinner at the hotel. It was Shabbat for the Jewish travelers. Shabbat began at sunset…. Various tables of people took turns singing. People from all over the world, united by their love for this small country, which is at the center of God’s heart.
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