Retreat Day ... my favorite ....

Today is "retreat day" here on the Mount of Beatitudes. A day for all our pilgrims to catch their breath, and refresh themselves in many different ways. Some are walking to Capernaum, some to a nearby spring that feeds the Sea of Galilee, some are reading, others are keeping silent. Each in his and her own way are reflecting on the past few days and the sites they have seen together and are preparing themselves for our journey to Jerusalem.

Once there, we know our pace will pick up and it will be more difficult to be in a reflective and refreshing mode. We are pledging to help each other in this task.

The video here today is from one of the mountain springs that feeds the Jordan River and then the Sea of Galilee. During the rainy season the water coming over this falls increases 5 fold. It's clear and fresh and comes from the snow melt high on Mount Hermon.

Yesterday we traveled to Caesarea Philippi, where tradition says Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Do you remember Peter's response?

We also traveled through the Golan Heights seeing the after effects of the 1967 war, and the important agricultural value of the land. UN peacekeepers are still here as are Jewish settlers. We saw many destroyed Syrian villages as a result of the war. The Jewish military are also present. Still disputed land.

Tomorrow we travel to Jerusalem. Shalom.