Tu Has Venido A La Orilla

"Peter do you love me?"

"Yes Lord, you know that I love you."

"Feed my sheep."

John 21

History, fact, tradition, legend.  Bible, narrative, folklore.  It all has a way of blending here.  The biblical narrative oozes from the hills.  Places commemorate key moments of the life and ministry of Jesus, and though we have no way of knowing exactly where any of the stories, healings, and teachings happened, the point is they happened very, very close to here.  Along that very lakeshore you see above.  From the shore of the Sea of Galilee, up to those hills which surround all sides of this north and northwest corner of the lake, yes right here, most of the early ministry of Jesus took place. And every few hundred yards there is a church, a site, a marker, a view, something which celebrates the ministry of Jesus.  To read all about this area, read Mark 2 - 5, or Matthew 5 - 9.  All of the miracles of Capernaum, the sermon on the mount, the first sermons of Jesus, the walking on the water, the calming of the storm.  All here.  Right here.  And though we cannot prove that Jesus preached the sermon on the mount at the mount of beatitudes -- to read the beatitudes on or near the very collection of hills where Jesus gave them to us?  Among the more powerful experiences I have ever had with scripture.  To remember the loaves and fishes near the site where it is believed to have happened?  The same.  To see the archaelologically reputed home of Peter, the foundation of the synagogue where Jesus would have preached and taught in Capernaum, the area of the town where he might have found Levi and called him?  More of the same.

(Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God - from the little Catholic Church which commemorates the preaching of the beatitudes.)

(The reconstructed 4th century Synagogue at Capernaum.  The foundation of the 1st century synagogue's foundation is just to my left.  This 1st century synagogue would have been the location of all of Jesus's preaching and miracles in Capernaum - Mark 2 through 5.)

(An icon in the church of the multiplication, near the miracles of the loaves and fishes.)

I cannot tell you how special today was to this student of the New Testament.  It was a day spent in scipture and for this I am grateful.

One thing to note, which I never realized until I came here to see it.  Everything is so close.  All the "he went to the lakeside, he went across the lake, he went to the mountain, he went to Capernaum, he went to the land of the Gerasenes" -- all those verses -- it is all so close together.  Seeing all these places has opened up the scriptures to me and I am beginning to understand the movements of Jesus in whole new ways.

One other thing:  as I expected, this place is covered with pilgrim-like tourists.  Just like us.  One can hear every language and any language at almost any given moment.  We all crowd in and push to see.  At one level it can be hard to hear the guide over all the other guides.  But on another level that is as it should be.  The good news of Jesus is not exclusive to anybody's tongue or anybody's church.  It belongs to us all.  Grace is available and sufficient to anyone who might follow.  It is not birthright or brainwashing. It is baptism and welcome.  It is Christ saying, "Follow me," and then following.  And many do follow.

(Our group gets "lost" and pulled toward the "home of Peter" with folks from all over the world.  That church is the Franciscan church built over the site.  From inside the church one can look down into the home of Peter - the sight which letters corroborate from the 4th and 5th centuries was Peter's house.  This would have been "home" for Jesus whenever he stayed in Capernaum.  It is a very busy place, a huge archaeological site, and one of the best things we have seen since we arrived.)

(Our group is on the the left.  Look at the others around.  Groups, individuals.  All trying to glimpse the places and spaces where Jesus likely walked and taught.)

(A panoramic shot of the Franscican church over the St. Peter's site.  The columns commemorate the miracles at Capernaum - which you may read about in Mark 2 -5.)

(Our group rides on a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  This was as relaxing as it looks.  Really allowing for a better understanding of the economy and the lake-like living of Jesus's time and his place.  Boats hustling across the lake all day.  Those same boats fishing at night.)

(By the Sea of Galilee near the spot of the breakfast and the command to "feed the sheep and tend the lambs" given by Jesus.  Read John 21 to seee the whole picture.  That sign to my left says no swimming and no cooking.  If you read the text you might understand why.)

(Our group under a shady tree near the monument to St. Peter.)

For a long time my favorite hymn has been "You have come to the lakeshore," or "Tu has venido a orilla."  It is so wonderful.  Seeing the lake, seeing the hills, I can't sing that hymn the same way again.  Seeing the world changes everything the anthropologist have taught me.  I agreed.  It's different in a good way.

There are days when one is humbled by the privilege of the call to ministry.  Humbled by the privilege to study and read and teach and preach.  Today was one of those days.

I found myself humming quietly as our bus descended the hills, back toward the sea, back toward the lakeside these words from the hymn:

"Lord, you have come to the lakeshore,

looking neither for wise nor for wealthy.

You only wanted that I should follow.

O Lord, with your eyes you have searched me,

And while smiling have called out my name.

Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me.

And with you I will fish other seas."

Friends, the loaves and fishes can be multiplied!

The peacemakers really are blessed!

The call truly is to feed the lambs and tend the flock!

What a beautiful reminder today of all the God has asked to do.  Thanks be to God for the call, and for the One who first followed, and then called us from the lakeshores.  Thanks be that the Savior then bids us to seek, serve, and love our neighbors near and far.