Wow! What a day it has been! God blessed us with a sprinkling of rain this morning and then a beautiful day perfect for photos.
We began at Joppa/Jaffa where Peter received the vision of a sheet with food saying all was good to eat (Acts 10). The Gentiles would be included in the new Christian faith! God’s concern for all the nations had always been there, however—it’s no coincidence that in his reluctance to take God’s message to a foreign land, Jonah also set sail from Jaffa. Even though he sailed in the opposite direction, God saw to it that the message arrived and Gentiles were blessed.
Next we went to Caesarea Maritima where Pontius Pilot lived and where Paul set sail for Rome once he had appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 26).
After passing through Mount Carmel and crossing the Jezreel Valley, we visited Nazareth to see the Church of the Annunciation and the Orthodox Church of Mary’s Well. Being in those places helped us to visualize, think about, and understand the place where Mary grew up, Joseph had his workshop, and Jesus grew up there also.
Mt Precipice where the people of Nazareth tried to kill Jesus by throwing him off the mountain (Luke 4) is also stunning with a view of the Jezreel Valley, Mt Tabor, and Megiddo in the distance.
We are ending the day in Tiberius at our hotel on the Sea of Galilee.
Everything has been so quiet. The sea is calm tonight. No crowds. We are the only group in the hotel. The only group in the restaurant at lunch. The only group at the churches. And one of 2 groups at the archeological site.
We feel privileged and humbled to be here. COVID has taken a huge toll on this pilgrimage economy.
Keep praying for the Christians in the Holy Land.
More pictures soon!
