Monday, July 20, 2015

Today I drove to the Golan Heights with a view into Syria and also looking towards Mount Hermon.
It's really nice to get into the upper part of Israel. It seems like you get away from all civilization, driving through the Druse villages. You go by the crusader fortress of Nimrod. Then on to Herod Phillip's capital Caesarea Philippi.  This is also the source of the Jordan River.

Greeks and Romans saw the nature of the area and declared it to be the Kingdom of Pan. But Jesus saw the source of the life-giving Jordan bursting from the massive rock and it reminded him of the the rock upon which He would build his church. Once again, water.   So many buildings and walls here are still built on rock. And that Rock would be responsible for the keys of another kingdom.

There are still niches and temples surviving to all gods at this site.
But Pan is the god of the forests and shepherds.  He is also the messenger between the living and the dead. So Jesus took his disciples there, once again on a mountain to question them.   Who do you say that I am? Of course Peter answered, "you are the Messiah, the son of the living God".  Great answer. But after Jesus revealed to them the future that he would have to suffer and die but rise again, Peter screwed up again. Said, "Well see to it that this will never happen to you." And Jesus said, "Get out of my sight. "You are a Satan"  Wow, the rock really crumbled.

Once again, Peter reacted in the wrong way.  
Must have been a long, long walk back home.  It's always difficult to be rock.  You can't always be hard. There has to be some softness. The Church is at its best when there is is some softness.  Pope Francis is showing us that.  With the gentleness of St. Francis who is the original Custos of this land, he is able to knock off some of our rough edgess and be better to serve the Lord and build up the Church.

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