Sea of Galilee Boat Ride

No Holy Land pilgrimage tour is complete without a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We headed for this trip before lunch and no food is served here unlike the floating restaurants we have in Loboc River, Bohol. I like the idea that the boat ride is more of a spiritual experience rather than a touristy getaway.

We boarded a wooden boat that looks ancient or at least it looks like the ones used during the time of Jesus. When we have taken our places, the boat captain requested us to stand and a recording of the Philippine National Anthem started to play while hoisting the Philippine flag and the Israeli flag. It was a very welcoming and unexpected gesture I must say. I felt so at home. After, the captain played praise songs of different melodies as he navigated our way to the center of the lake.

sea of galilee 2 — Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

But it did not end there. The captain switched off the boat’s engine and he relied on the wind to navigate the water. This I think makes this boat ride more authentic because during the time of Jesus, fishermen would rely on the wind to navigate the water. Of course praise songs are still being played. After a while, Peter, not the apostle, introduced himself to us and showed us how to fish. Though the demonstration is comical and I supposed its purposely done that way to entertain us, it served the purpose. Then the boat crew started a local praise song and dance for our entertainment. It’s some sort of a charismatic song and dance way of praising. After, were given some moments of silence to reflect and pray. The entire experience lasted for almost two hours and even though short, I think it’s a spiritual journey of its own.

MY PERSONAL REFLECTION WHILE AT THE SEA OF GALILEE

Jesus performed so many miracles in the Sea of Galilee like walking on water, calming the storm and bountiful catch of fish. These miracles of Jesus tells us that the power of God is immeasurable and beyond the capacity of man. As such, we have to rely on Jesus because in Him we find daily miracles. He can walk over our troubles minds and bodies in order to purity us. He can calm the storm of problems we have in order for us to have peace of mind. He can give us bountiful harvest for our daily living. He can do much more because he is God of mercy and love. What we only need to do is trust and obey Him.