"Ramot Galilee"

The hotel on the Galilee that we stayed in was perhaps my favorite. It was nice and fancy but not ornate. It was located up the hillside from the shoreline and if the Galilee was a clock, at about the 2 o’clock position. Trees, bushes, flowers of all types literally surrounded the area! It had 4 different levels with rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors, lobby sitting area on the 3rd floor and dining area on the 4th floor. The rooms had been recently remodeled and had been given an oriental theme using bamboo, glass and wood floors.

After meals, supper especially, we tended to gather in the sitting area that overlooked the Sea of Galilee. There was a nice balcony and the sitting area was surrounded with windows in a semi-circular fashion with hardly a bad view to be had in the house. Despite the haze from the “heat wave”, dust from the southwest brought in by ocean wind currents, the view was amazing. The lights of Tiberias twinkled liked diamonds across the Galilee at night! Amazing…sweet…breathtaking.

The best part was the fellowship during these times in the sitting area. Usually we were full, tired but rather jolly in mood. Most of us were iPhone in hand…or at least laptops, getting on Facebook, checking email at the same time sharing impressions of the day, laughing and drinking some really good coffee.

This fellowship was the best part of the day. You see, for one we could relive the impressions of the day which made the experience more real-I mean how can you really take in being where Jesus was 2000 years ago-“did you hear Yoni say that ‘woe’ meant beware and not ‘be cursed?’ “ Ya and what was that yellow sign by the road; oh, a mind field warning…how weird is that…orange blossoms…is that what we are smelling?” “Do you really think that was Peter’s mother-in-law’s house?” “Hey how much is the coffee…do they have Pepsi Max?’ On and on the fellowship went on those nights over the Galilee. Fellowship. Fellowship is community and community is what we are all about in Jesus.

Well, that got me thinking about what Jesus and the disciples did at night after all the craziness of the day: “did you see those all that left over food after we fed the people? What does He mean ‘Son of Man giving Himself? I can’t believe that lady touched the Master…but I’m glad she did…where is she now? How come no one says anything when Judas takes money from the bag-we all know he does it! Next time I’ m gonna get out of the boat too, like Peter did…”

I’m convinced that was the best part of the day for Jesus too, the fellowship I mean. That is true in the present day also.