Today the Sea of Galilee was as smooth as glass…calm… peaceful. The dull hum of the boat’s motor beneath us wasn’t jarring as we rode the wooden boat upon the sea. The Sea of Galilee is mentioned several times in the New Testament; however Jesus’ travels on the Sea of Galilee were not simply a calm boat ride.

Today we not only took in the beauty of the smooth and soothing waters of the Sea of Galilee, we also took in a geography and culture lesson. If one draws an imaginary line north to south (from where

the Jordon River enters the Sea of Galilee to where the water drains from the Sea of Galilee), one has a sense of the boundary that existed between Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles were considered outsiders by the Jewish people, described in the Gospel of Mark as “unclean.” To cross the Sea of Galilee is to enter the territory of the “other”. Yet Jesus crosses this very body of water and this boundary again and again.

Perhaps these accounts are familiar to us. Do we realize how radical

these boat trips were? My mind travels to another part of our day. Earlier in the morning, we traveled to Tel Dan, a city dating back to Old Testament times. This city is over 3,000 years old and yet the city walls and supports for the gate of the city still stand; both crafted to best protect the people from unwanted outsiders. The division of the Sea of Galilee, the city walls of Dan, both efforts to protect one from “others”.

I am sure some things haven’t changed. I’m sure we each have a boundary, a line, a place that just seems to be too far for us to go and yet across that line, in some way, God is at work. This is what Jesus models for us over and over again in the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel we recounted today on the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps the author of this gospel knew we need that reminder, that repetition of the boundaries Jesus crosses, how far God is willing to go

Although not quite the same our group perhaps crossed a boundary line of our own today by breaking out of our own insecurities and Lutheran stereotypes. Today we sang, clapped and danced as our boat sailed on the Sea of Galilee. Often the speaker systems on these boats are used to play the national anthem of those who are taking the boat ride. We used our time on the water differently, we recounted the portions of Mark’s gospel that mention the Sea of Galilee, we had devotions led by Cynthia, we fed the birds and then we danced. I’m not sure how it happened, but it did and here is proof!

Dancing the Harma

"Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful... Let them praise his name with dancing..."

- Psalm 149:1,3a.