October 7, 2007

Lance Evanson

Arising from my bedside this morning was a pleasant experience as I in my mind’s eye grasped the vision of the scenes for the coming day, yet even in the beauty of my imagination I scarcely captured the tangible brilliance of the countryside of Galilee.
The daily schedule: Breakfast in the early morn 5:00 to 5:45, on “Bus One, Bus one” by 6:00 and onto the sights as soon as we could get there; first Megiddo then Nazareth, onto Zippori and up to Mount Arbel (my favorite of the lot). We rushed our way down the mountain and into the sea at En Gev where we were to stay that night.
Briefly from what I remember of the sites taken in order:
Megiddo- A city in the Jezreel Valley set up on a hill by the Canaanites and in time controlled by, to name a few: the Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Greeks, and even the French. Most interesting to think that for centuries past the city has gathered in times of war so many nations to the last battle ground of all nations, the land of Armageddon.
Nazareth- The village in the Lower Galilee from which came forth “a rod out of the stem of Jesse” in the form of a boy who “grew, and waxed strong in spirit” as He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Here the boy Jesus became a man, rejected, by those who knew Him only as the earthly son of Joseph, when He pronounced His divine mission.
Zippori- “Bird” in Hebrew, named such because of its location where it sits in the top of the hills of Galilee. Romanesque in style, Jewish in history, and magnificent in and of itself. The capital of Galilee by the Romans, the host city of the Sanhedrin which completed the Mishna, and later occupied by both the Byzantine Christians and the Crusaders.
Mount Arbel- The towering cliffs rising high above the Sea of Galilee look over the surrounding valleys and cities of the countryside of Galilee. It was here that I was able to journey nearly 2,000 years into the past. For years I have studied about all of the miraculous events that took place in this special land and had seen them only in my minds eye, now with mine natural eyes I was able to look out and see each of them in their true settings. Here Jesus taught that marvelous Sermon on the Mount to be followed by His sermon on the plain where he pointed out that a city on a hill could not be hid; He the master calmed the seas and walked on the waters; cast out devils and healed the wanting; and here He met his disciples on the shores of the sea where He fed them and commissioned Peter to feed His sheep.
It seemed as though heaven’s light flowed through its windows lighten the land and enlightened my soul. The natural beauty was intensified and the landscape became so much more than a picturesque countryside. I felt as though I stood on holy ground and in this place was able to reach for heaven and it reached for me in return. The vision of the past has intensified my understanding of the scriptures and brought me a renewed yearning to usurp knowledge.
We retired to En Gev and there enjoyed an evening of blissful peace.