Where Jesus Walked

Nazareth, the home town of Mary and Joseph, is today far from the image of the tiny village in the Gospel narratives. It is densely populated and is now home to two churches that mark the place of the annunciation-- the angel's visit to Mary. We stopped at Mary's well-- the place where women came to draw water and likely where Mary may have been first approached by the angel. Close by, the eastern rite Church of the Annunciation, claims to mark the place where Mary heard the angel's message. Pilgrims filled the place and one group broke into song while we were there.

We trekked through some narrow winding streets and one of the wonderful open market areas to the newer church of the annunciation. Built quite recently, the church is filled with works of art from countries around the world-- each depicting a concept of Mary reflective of and rooted in the culture of the country.

We drove without stopping through Cana, noting it was the site of the first miracle of Jesus and stopped at Magdala for lunch. Many of us had St Peter fish--before driving a short distance to the Sea of Galilee. There we boarded a "Jesus Boat" and sailed on the waters where the disciples fished and Jesus walked. We saw the site of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus spoke the beatitudes.

While we drove along and sailed on the Sea of Galilee, we were acutely aware of the other side of that lake-- the Golan Heights, site of critical conflict in the recent history of Israel.

We drove back toward Haifa, stopping briefly at Capernaum with its old synagogue and church built over the home of St Peter. The statue of St Peter dominates the entrance to the site that is today home to a Franciscan community.

With daylight fading we arrived at the baptismal site on the Jordan River, Yardenhit. Pilgrims dressed in white gowns were immersed in the waters of the Jordan where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. I walked down the steps to the water and stepped in, dipping a bottle in to take some water. Friendly fish and large rodent like critters approached anyone willing to feed them.

After a stop in the very commercial and huge shop, we boarded the bus and made the long drive back to Haifa. After another excellent meal in a local restaurant, we engaged with Gaby, one of the founders of the Sulha Peace Project. He talked to us and told us stories--a great one about his meeting with the Dalai Lama--and got us all to sing peace songs with him. A great ending to another long but wonderful day.