Land of Milk and Honey

This morning our community celebrated mass on the spot which commemorates the Sermon on the Mount. There’s a large bowl sort of shape in the hillside where people could have sat, and Jesus would have stood at the bottom in order to speak to the crowds. The church is at the top of the mountain though- which is actually more like a big hill, and very green- and it’s eight sided in order to signify the eight virtues which correspond to the Beatitudes (found in the Sermon of the Mount which was given there, as recorded in Matthew 5). There’s a portico surrounding the Church, and gardens of flowers and palm trees. I walked down the mountain with Ivan- we may have been trespassing a bit- we made our way down through an olive grove, rows of mango trees, a banana plantation, an orchard of lemons and oranges, an open field on the hillside, more mangos and finally back to the road. We were quite pleased with ourselves when we finally came out to the road and immediately saw the sign for Capernaum!
We walked in to see the town where Peter once lived- a honeycomb of half ruined walls now, and the pillars and walls of a synagogue. Jesus performed many of His miracles at this place- there is a modern sort of church there which looks like a flying saucer floating over an archeological dig- when one is inside there are surrounding windows and a large glass floor in the center through which the ruins of an ancient church can be seen, and it is said that this was built over the house of Peter’s mother in law (whom Jesus cured). Inside the saucer it feels more like an upside down boat- maybe like the boat which Peter left behind on the nearby shore?
We then went to the neighboring Orthodox Church- a beautiful whitewashed building with red domes. Inside it was covered floor to roof with icons- I could’ve spent hours there. The faces of the saints are painted as though they’re illuminated from within- we were so drawn in that we missed lunchtime! There was a walkway of flagstones along the road, and I walked back barefoot because it was such beautiful weather. Talking as we went we thought of all the crowds of people that would’ve walked the same route following Jesus along to different parts of the shore as he crossed the water on a boat. Because the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills, it’s easy to see any boat that’s out on the water. We got back to the House for Pilgrims via my path through the orchard behind the Church of the Multiplication- fortunately there was still some salad and pastries leftover from lunch!
Walking along I whimsically imagine footprints permanently indicated on the ground -like the sort you’d see in a dance class- which would show the exact places where Jesus walked. Am I walking his steps? Had I stepped on the same rocks that he once had? On many levels, I hope so!

-Mike