Flourishing Life

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

This verse was in my morning Scripture reading today before we set off on the trail from Marwa's Inn. God is good and he's shown his goodness to us throughout this entire trip. One the way was last night. Marwa invited Bernd and Edith (the German couple accompanying us), Bob and me to her parents' house for supper. They are an Arab family living in an Arab neighborhood, and they showed us amazing hospitality. The food was wonderful and the company was even better. While there, several cousins and a sister-in-law stopped by to say "salaam alaikum" (Peace be with you). It was quite a unique cultural experience that reminded me that no matter what our differences may be, in appearance, customs, dress, and diet, those differences pale in comparison to the similarities. We are all humans and want the very same things, peace, harmony in our relationships, and to enjoy the life God has given us. We might even go about those goals differently, but the human heart is the same, no matter where you travel around the world. I'm grateful that Marwa's family welcomed us into their home.

A Nice View Along the Way

This morning we started walking after a breakfast prepared by Marwa, We were joined by Schlomit, who, along with her husband and another couple are co-founders of the Jesus Trail. We walked all the way up to the highest point in Cana and then headed out of town on a rocky road along a ridge top, afforded some beautiful views on this cloudy and cool day.

The trail meandered through forest and past more olive groves. Bob and I were moving a bit faster than the others and missed a trail blaze, taking quite a detour. We stopped and managed to find an alternative route back to the trail. After a walking a while we discovered the others sitting eating lunch at a sandwich stand along the road next to an Israeli army base.

Me Standing on the Via Maris

The Jesus Trail team rerouted the path past one of the most impressive sights along the entire length, the remains of a Roman road called the Via Maris (The Way of the Sea). Shlomit wanted to see this part of the trail, as did I, so we purposefully took a detour to see it. We passed a dead cow and up a thistle-rich field, arriving at the top of the ridge littered with large rocks, the remains of the Via Maris. It's fascinating to stand in a location Jesus almost certainly traveled. We took a break there and eventually headed to our destination for today the Kibbutz Lavi. This is a community founded by survivors and children of survivors of the Holocaust. It is a large farming commune that also runs a nice hotel. Tomorrow, it's off to the Horns of Hattin and eventually Arbel. God truly is good.