DAY 9: Around Galilee
No too early a start today! After breakfast, around 10.00 a boat arrives and moors alongside the hotel garden and we embark. It is a much larger replica of the kind of boats that fishermen have used for centuries on this lake. Once we are aboard we motor out to the middle of the lake, which today is reasonably calm: squalls can whip up very quickly because this lake is surrounded by ranges of hills and winds can sweep down unsuspectingly! But today we are safe. The boat heads out into the middle (It is about 6 miles wide at this point). Suddenly it goes very quiet as the engine is switch off and we drift silently on the breeze. We listen to the sound of silence and then quietly we sing
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,forgive our foolish ways!
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise;
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word,
rise up and follow thee;
O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity
interpreted by love!
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace;
Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm;
Eventually the engine is re-started and we continue our journey across to the other side of the Lake where we disembark at Kursi, where a short walk brings us to the remains of a Byzantine church – it is the Church of the Gadarenes. This church commemorates the healing of a man called Legion, possessed by devils and cast out by society.
5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
I have always found this a perplexing story as it suggests that Jesus commanded the destruction of the pigs. I suppose, as Jews do not eat the flesh of pigs, in that culture it would be acceptable. But it leaves me uneasy about such an attitude to creation! It is interesting to note that this church is a long way back from the lake side – showing how the Sea of Galilee has shrunk over the years.
A coach is waiting for us to takes us the 3 or so miles to En Gev where there is a restaurant waiting to serve us fish. The catch of the day is St Peter’s Fish, as it is called. It is a form of Talapia. It is quite an oily fish and very bony! An acquired taste but always worth a try. But the chips are OK!
After lunch we board the coach and head south around the lake until we cross the outflow of the Jordan, down through the rift valley, heading towards the Dead Sea. We head a little way down to a site named Yardenit where we can come and renew our Baptismal vows in the very river in which Jesus was baptised by John. Yardenit is not the site – that is on the Jordanian side which we cannot access from where we are. Yardenit is a busy place where many groups of pilgrims come from across the world and we can witness many people being fully baptised by total immersion: it is very moving! But we will be very English and remove our shoes and socks and stand in the shallows as we answer the questions
Do you turn to Christ?
Do you repent of your sins?
Do you renounce evil?
Do you believe and trust in God the Father who made the world?
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ who redeems mankind?
Do you believe and trust in his Holy Spirit who gives life to the people of God?
This is our faith. We believe in one God,
Father Son and Holy Spirit.
Water is sprinkled over us as we dabble our toes in the water and we pray
God of grace and life,
In your love you have given us a place among your people;
Keep us faithful to our baptism,
And prepare us for that glorious day
When the whole creation will be made perfect
In your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then it is time to board the coach to take us back to our hotel.
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