Sunrise to Sunset - Day 1 in Israel

Up before dawn, Sarah and I made our way to the shore to watch day break over the Sea of Galilee. As the sun rose on our first day here in Israel, we saw that fishermen were already out in their boats. I couldn't help but think, "Jesus was here!" Was it a morning like this when, as according to the gospel writer John, Jesus called to his disciples and told them to cast their nets onto the other side of the boat to catch fish? Was it a beach like this where Jesus, after feeding his disciples breakfast, asked Peter, "Do you love me?" and then giving him the command to "Feed my lambs" and "Tend my sheep"? Was it a morning like this, on a beach like this, when Jesus the words upon which Christian discipleship begins, "Follow me" (John 21)?

Today was a day of doing just that, following in "the footsteps of Jesus" or at least going to places where tradition maintains he walked, where he preached, or where he broke bread. But while the first few days are more of the "touisty" part of the trip, when we explore this land before delving into the politics of this region, we couldn't help but escape the reality that this is a land of conflict as we traveled to the Golan Heights and looked down upon Israeli-Syrian border (perhaps you will find this as amusing as I did: the cloudy mountain top cafe where we met with a captain from the Israeli Defense Force, a place which overlooks the UN demilitarized zone, was named Coffee Anan - "anan" meaning "cloud" in Hebrew).

Returning to our kibbutz at sunset, I was the one from our group to light the Shabbat candle as our tour guide prayed, "Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha‑olam..." ("Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe..."). It has been a long day. And the Sabbath is here. So I will rest.

But let me just say, despite the rain and the cold (which shattered my illusions that Israel is a dry arid place), I will say that this was a wonderful first day for this first time pilgrim to a land so many call "holy". I look forward to the days ahead, when we will continue to see history come alive, and I especially look forward to hearing more about contemporary life in Israel and the Palestinian territories from many diverse voices in this region. I will blog as I am able. Until next time, Shabbat Shalom.