"By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea"

Today we left Kibbutz Lavi and headed west for the Mediterranean Sea. On the way, Moshe drove us through many towns, mostly so we would have a chance to see what life was like for average Israelis. Among the cities we drove through were two in the Galilean hills whose names many of you know - Cana and Nazareth.

Cana (Ain Kana) is the traditional site of Jesus' first miracle (in John's gospel). Jesus and his mother Mary walked the 7 km from their home in Nazareth to attend a wedding in Cana. When the wine ran out, Mary told the servants, "fill those jars with wine." Then Jesus said, "now draw from the jars." When they did they found not only wine but the best wine. This is significant because the best wine is usually served first, and after people have gotten a little drunk the cheap stuff is pulled out. Here the best was saved for last. Today Cana is 25% Christian, most of the rest Muslim. It is a peaceful working class town.

Next we traveled to Nazareth, where some say Jesus' family lived. From atop Nazareth we peered out over the valley, and we noticed how the religions have competed over the centuries with architecture. Many places had churches and mosques near one another, and the one that was built latest always made sure to build a little bit taller than the other. Atop the tallest hill in the city sat a beautiful golden-domed mosque. And down below us was the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, rebuilt in 1969, marking the 'traditional' site where Mary received the news that she was carrying the child of God.

We next traveled to Haifa. Haifa is the city on Mount Carmel (Carmel means "God's vineyard"). Many of you may know the awful story of Elijah challenging and defeating the 450 false prophets (from the court of Queen Jezebel); Elijah then kills the prophets and dumps their bodies into the Kishon River (Kings 18). That butchery was gratefully not to be found.

What we found was a vibrant, modern industrial city built into a hill overlooking a port on the Mediterranean. Moshe took us up to the top of Mount Carmel to the Ba'hai Gardens. This contains the burial site of the founder of Ba'hai, Baha'u'allulah. Founded in Iran in the 19th century, Ba'hai is a faith dedicated to radical equality and embracing al the world's faiths (a little bit like UUism). The Iranians continue to persecute them mercilessly today. Their world headquarters is in Chicago.

From Haifa we went to Caesarea, the largest seaport in antiquity. Built by Herod between 22-10 BCE, Caesarea sits right on the Mediterranean. It is a sparkling example of Roman construction at its best, complete with theatre, hippodrome (horse-racing track), temple and more. The palace jutted right out into the Sea. Caesarea once had a sea wall a mile long. The opening to its deep-water port faced North to prevent the silt from the Nile (300 miles south) from filling up the harbor. The ancients knew much and were capable of great things.

Our trip ends in Tel Aviv. This is a modern city - could be any number of cities. It looks a bit like San Francisco - with its hilly streets cascading into the Sea. Tel Aviv means "old hill" "spring." It was named this because of its importance in the resurrection of this area as a place Jews call home. In the 19th century, with pogroms persecuting Jews, tens of thousands of Jews emigrated out of Russia, many of them coming here. Because this was the period of Zionism - a secular movement to create a home for ethnic Jews in Palestine - Tel Aviv was chosen as the capital of Israel when it was founded in 1948.

In Tel Aviv all types of folks live side by side - Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze - even atheists and anarchists! It is here that we find the American embassy and many of Israel's secular institutions like Art Museums and federal offices. Tel Aviv also has crowded, vibrant markets for food, clothing, arts and crafts.

Last night, as the Jewish sabbath was underway, hundreds of Muslim families gathered in the parks by the Mediterranean Sea. They had cookouts, drank beer, sang and danced until early in the morning. This was the most hopeful show of integration and coexistence we have seen.

Tel Aviv is also a very young city, and perhaps this represents Israel's future. So many young people - college students, young families - seem not as intensely religious as people in other cities here. There seems to be an embrace of modern life and an intention on creating their own future and not be so thoroughly defined by the past.

Even though the beaches today were so crowded we could barely get to the Sea(!), this last stop is a sign of hope. Young people have a chance to define the world for themselves and not be shackled to the prejudice or legacy of tradition. Not that folks here are irreverent, but there are many fewer Israeli flags flying on homes and automobiles. Here people seem to go about their lives with the intentionality of people who simply want what all people want - a safe place to live that gives them a chance to have meaningful work and to raise a family. Like the second and third generation in Massachusetts after the Pilgrims landed, the earnest devotion to a particular religious vision may be fading here; a desire for a more practical and open way to live together may be materializing.

So it is from here that we fly home. Hopefully you all will recognize me when I return - I feel profoundly transformed. I plan on scheduling a time to share pictures, stories and reflections from this trip. This trip makes me realize how much more I have yet to know and study. But for now let me end with this simple prayer.

Spirit of life, known in many ways by many names - great power beyond all naming - bring inspiration and strength to us, yes, but to also these good people in the land of Israel. Power of love bring the peoples of the earth to places of knowing and trust that will enable peace and love to rule our days and allow rest to rule our nights. And may we as the inheritors not only of this rich religious tradition but also of the great military might of the USA be gentle with our demands for power and privilege and compose solutions for this troubled corner of the world. And always, may we be blessed and be blessings.

In the name of all that each of us deems holy, we pray, Amen.

Shalom,

Rev Scott