It was late when I arrived at Capernaum. The sun was setting on the Mount of the beatitudes but I still climbed up. My walk has been quiet a reflective and shown me many things. I've walked on old stone paths, through untidy crumbling villages, passed new buildings with high fences and barbed wire. I've walked past armed guards, piles of rubbish dumped on the path, barriers and felled trees and Entry Forbidden signs. I've been given directions through 'forbidden areas' by young people on quad bikes and young men who have any religion or none. All of it has been good but some of the things I've seen look very un-Holy.
I sat on top of the Mount and pondered, I could see lights across the sea and I thought about fishermen making a living in the dark, crowds of people and Holy sites. I can't say it was a spiritual moment, more of a searching for one which I couldn't find. I sat for a while in the dark and then stumbled back down the Mount by an unorthodox route. I passed a large upright stone standing and wondered who had stood next to it, but I didn't linger. I found the road to Capernaum and now for the first time my path had a paved walkway, clean smooth and straight, I wondered if the Benedictines had laid it and I was thankful for Holy sites and Holy people. It was now pitch black but the path ahead seemed straight and the pale coloured stone reflected some light so I could see my way. Here for the first time I met someone on the path. Someone carrying a light was walking towards me. I wasn't spooked, just curious. Until we almost met I could not see who it was. A young woman appeared with a torch and as we came together she smiled and said hello, I mumbled hello back, not expecting a stranger to speak a greeting and especially not a woman, I don't know why I didn't expect this. We passed without stopping and I wondered on her speaking my language and where she was going, there were no houses behind me that I could remember, but maybe she was going to the Benedictines, again I was thankful for Holy people : )
I sat on top of the Mount and pondered, I could see lights across the sea and I thought about fishermen making a living in the dark, crowds of people and Holy sites. I can't say it was a spiritual moment, more of a searching for one which I couldn't find. I sat for a while in the dark and then stumbled back down the Mount by an unorthodox route. I passed a large upright stone standing and wondered who had stood next to it, but I didn't linger. I found the road to Capernaum and now for the first time my path had a paved walkway, clean smooth and straight, I wondered if the Benedictines had laid it and I was thankful for Holy sites and Holy people. It was now pitch black but the path ahead seemed straight and the pale coloured stone reflected some light so I could see my way. Here for the first time I met someone on the path. Someone carrying a light was walking towards me. I wasn't spooked, just curious. Until we almost met I could not see who it was. A young woman appeared with a torch and as we came together she smiled and said hello, I mumbled hello back, not expecting a stranger to speak a greeting and especially not a woman, I don't know why I didn't expect this. We passed without stopping and I wondered on her speaking my language and where she was going, there were no houses behind me that I could remember, but maybe she was going to the Benedictines, again I was thankful for Holy people : )