Holy Land Holy People Day 7

Word for the day: RESTORATIVE

          Today was a good day. Everyday has been good, but today was calm, it was peaceful. Restorative. We saw a muskrat; Will Henderson thought it was cute and he wanted to catch it. A black cat stared us down while we ate ice cream, oh yeah ... we touched the same water that Jesus did 2000 years ago.

          The group started our day off with a 6:30 am breakfast at the Mar Elias Center, and we departed Ibillin shortly after. We ventured toward Bi’ram, Capernum, and the Sea of Galilee. Some of us even chanted “Yee Yee to the Sea of Galilee!” as we got closer and closer to the waters. Our first destination was Bi’ram, the home of Elias Chacour. When we were there we reviewed the history of Bi’ram through Chacour’s story Blood Brothers. Bi’ram was a small town that has exited since the first century CE. The sign at the park told us that the own existed from 1st to the 7th century CE, but we knew otherwise. Bi’ram fell to Israeli rule when soldiers came into the area saying that there was no way they could be protected. The people of Bi’ram were tricked out of their land. Later the people of Bi’ram tried countless times to gain access to their town, but they were not successful. Finally they gained a permit to return to the land and when they returned the Israeli military told them to wait one day. During that one days time, the Israeli military bombed and destroyed the entire town. 

          Without our knowledge a man by the name of Riad was waiting at the steps of Bi’ram to give us a personal tour of the town. He had gained word of our visit and wanted to welcome us and show us his town, or at least what was left of it. Riad informed us that the people of Bi’ram had been protesting the land for the past nine months. At least one person has been on the land at all times of the day; they are protesting their right of return to the land. Riad then showed us the remains of the entire town. The frustration and anger that I have experienced the past few days quickly resurfaced. The ruins that we saw looked as if they very well could have come out of the 7th century, but in reality, they were only 60 years old. They lay in ruins due to the bombs that were dropped on them. Riad then took us to the cemetery; he informed us that the cemetery was totally allowed. As it turns out, it is perfectly okay to live dead here, but living life here is strictly prohibited...For me, I think that it has come to the point in the trip where whenever I learn of a new tragedy, I almost laugh. I almost laugh at the absurdity that there is with this entire issue. I find myself trying to laugh it off as a mechanism to cope with the pain that comes with each new piece of information. 

Ruins at Bi'ram

          This afternoon was what made the day restorative. After Bi’ram the group traveled to Capernum, which is on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Capernum is also the town where Jesus performed a lot of his ministry. The group toured Capernum and its ruins, ate lunch and then went on a boat ride across the See of Galilee. I have spoken with the group during discussion that I have recently struggled with seeing the beauty that the land holds. I remember the first morning; I looked out at Bethlehem and saw such beauty. Just a few days later, I looked out at the same city and I struggled to see that same beauty that I saw the first day, but I saw that beauty today. I felt that same awe that I felt when I first arrived. I saw that beauty out on the Sea of Galilee. 

Ruins at Capernum

The Sea of Galilee

          On the first day here, I wrote down as a prayer the lyrics to “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” and I am reminded now of the lines that say,

“I want to see you

I want to see you

To see you high and lifted up

Shining in the light of your glory.”

I have struggled seeing “the light of [His] glory’ due to the pain and anger that I have recently felt. Out on that water though, I saw Him shining fully in the light of His glory. I saw Him as I remembered how He healed the paralytic in Capernum, and when He called his disciples to follow Him. I remember when He walked out on top of the water to His disciples, and I remember when he stood up and said to the storm, “Quiet! Be Still!” I remembered all of these stories, and I remember how he was shinning in the light of His gory during this time. He was shining then, he has shown for ages before then, and he has shown every day since then. Where I earlier struggled to see God was in the living Hell that I witnessed in the days before. I struggled to see Him as I learned more and more about how many Human Rights violations were actually occurring. But out on the Sea of Galilee, I realized where God has been all of this time. Indeed, He has been in front of my face the entire time. God is in this land. He is in the people of this land. Every story I have heard has been gut wrenching. They all tear at us in ways that many of us have never been torn before, but God is here. Every person we have heard from has hope and love deep down in their hearts. They tell stories that make us cringe, but yet they all still have hope, faith, and above all, love in their hearts. God is hope; God is love, and this is where He is. He is in these people; He is in the Hope and love that they pour out toward us. Today was so great because I was reminded that even in the toughest of times God reigns. Today was restorative. Today was a good day.

Mark McAlister