It was one of the places we went that wasn’t crawling with souvenir sellers or encrusted with gilt.  Tabgha it was called, derived from the Greek for “seven springs.”  Maurice had sent me to Israel with my friend Pat for her trip of a lifetime.  We were walking down a pathway in a park-like setting that ended at a little church on the left perched on a big chunk of black rock.  To the right under a shady tree was a circular seating area of concrete benches around an altar where we shared communion. Beyond was the rocky shore of Kineret, the deep blue Sea of Galilee.  Our wonderful guide George told us a lot of things happened here.  It was where Jesus called his first disciples (Luke 5:1-11).  It was the “solitary place” of Mark 6 when Jesus fed the 5,000 (v. 30-44); archeology reveals no evidence ever of human settlement here, so it has always been a “solitary place.”   Here was where Peter made the dangerous statement that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-20).  But what really touched my heart was when George pointed out this was where, after the resurrection, Jesus cooked breakfast for the disciples when they had given up and gone back to fishing (John 21:1-14).  Right here on the rocky shore Jesus had brought bread and set about fixing breakfast.  But first he climbed up on the slab of rock that was right next to us.  The sea here was a good fishing place; six of the seven nearby springs emptied in these waters.  One of the springs was quite warm so fish were likely to gather there.  But the waters were never still and it was uncertain exactly where the fish would be.  Sometimes fishermen would hire someone to stand up on the rock, see where the fish congregated and point the fishermen in the right direction.  But the disciples had no money, and no fish spotter and, though they fished all night, no fish.  So Jesus climbed on the rocky outcrop, located the school of fish and called out, “Friends, haven’t you any fish? Throw your net on the right side.”  The disciples eventually recognized Jesus, brought in a big haul and found breakfast ready.  Right here.  They settled somewhere right on this rock with Jesus.  It was the ordinary stuff of life, really, hard work and fatigue and breakfast.  The rocky shore probably doesn’t look much different now than it did 2000 years ago.  There was the morning sun and the splash of water; there were the same people from the day before.  The disciples had just what I have right now, ordinary responsibilities, everyday blessings.  Right here on this rock they had Jesus.  And I have Jesus, and I am here on this rock where he sat on the shore of the sea.  Suddenly time does not matter.  He is here and I am here.  I am part of Jesus’ body, as his disciples were.  By his Spirit we are all one in Christ and seated together around the throne. Hallelujah!  May you meet the living Lord Jesus where the springs bubble with life and the waters are warm.  May you meet him in solitary places where there are no fish.  May you meet him in the manger under the star this Epiphany season.  Gloria in excelsis Deo!

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