Involved in each other’s lives

 Today was a full day! We visited six sites and managed to avoid the rain - praise God!

In the morning, we visited a small town that is often overlooked. Chorazin is a hidden gem among all the major sites that surround it. We learned about the communal life that existed among the Jews in Chorazin. “Insula” (community) was very important to them. The layout of the community made it easy to see how involved they were in each other’s lives. They opted to have small living spaces so they could have larger, open spaces where they shared life together. It was fascinating to think about how early Christians interacted with each other. In America, we are so busy and individualized that we lose many of the benefits that insula offers.

The theme of community continued as we traveled around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called his disciples to follow him. We got to read through the Sermon on the Mount and ponder the blessings of following Jesus. Capernaum was amazing because we know that Jesus taught at the synagogue there. Jesus was counter-cultural by allowing the worst of sinners to be part of his community.

Community is so important to help us grow in our faith, but sometimes we need to withdraw and be alone with the Lord. Mount Arbel was a great place to practice what Jesus often did, which was to withdraw and spend time alone in prayer with our Father in heaven.

We ended the day with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, seeing where Jesus calmed the storm and walked on water and Peter stepped off the boat in faith. It was a full day that challenged us to be in community with each other and make time to be alone with our Father in heaven.