Being There


Posted On: Saturday - May 30th 2026 9:25PM MST
In Topics:   Bible/Religion  Peak Stupidity Roadshow



From our recent post on trees, that is again the olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane In Jerusalem that's said to have been there at the time Jesus was "detained", one would say now, as reported by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I touched it, no matter what any sign might have said, when we were on a tour of the Holy Land recently.

This was on an official tour rather than just a trip in which we made our own way. As much as I'd rather do the latter, I think my wife was right that we'd have to do it this way. She's not always. When we visited London in '22, I'd have rather spent more time off the double-decker buses.

There's also the photography problem, as Peak Stupidity has written about here and here. Can we just experience a place without having to take pictures in front of old or famous stuff? Our friends and family will believe us when we tell them we've been there, and there thousands of better pictures of said places all over the internet.

Without being on a tour, we'd have probably had a hard time visiting the sites from the life of Jesus. However, between that and the picture taking, it was much too much like the scenes of tourism one see in the movies. "OK, you've got 10 minutes here. Take pictures, and you'll have a couple of minutes to use the bathroom, and back on the bus. We've got 5 more stops today." That was really no way to appreciate where we were and what had happened there 2,000 years ago.

Back in Rome some years ago, I was kept busy taking a picture here and there, and everywhere, at this, also ~ 2,000 years-old, Colosseum, when what I wanted to do is sit there, BE THERE, and reflect on what people were doing RIGHT THERE, so many years ago.




That hillside is on the north-northwest shoreline of the Sea of Galilee* just to the west of Capernaum. The rotunda you can see is on the top of the Church of the Beatitudes on a nicely kept site up the slope. It was built as an octagon to represent 8 blessings from the "Sermon on the Mount", as excerpted by Matthew in Chapters 5, 6, and 7. OK, one can learn more there and enjoy the view... till the 15 minutes are up and "back on the bus, please."

No, I just wanted to sit on the hillside and put myself back 2,000 years to the time of Jesus. I could have stayed there half a day doing that. Just being there - that's the experience I came for. We may go back one day and do it right...


* The Sea of Galilee is not big enough to be a "sea" really, but it's a decent-sized natural lake. The elevation of the surface is 200 ft below sea level. The boat voyage was great.

Comments:
Moderator
Sunday - May 31st 2026 12:32PM MST
PS: "Hmmm… I’ve only taken a double-decker bus two or three times in 30 years in and around London and only to get from A to B."

Yeah, Alarmist, it was some deal for 2 or 3 days, in which you could get on or off anytime with this pass. Things looked closer together on the map I had (probably no scale on it), so when we got a little off track, my wife was very much like "Chef" in the tiger scene in "Apocalypse Now" Don't get off the freaking bus!

Did you make sure to "mind the gap"? I guess if you hadn't minded the gap, you wouldn't be able to write us.
Moderator
Sunday - May 31st 2026 12:29PM MST
PS: Good afternoon, Adam. Yes, that'a a good song, and it somehow fit in with the meter of what I was writing. I was a CSN, sometimes Y fan way past their time - had what would have been a double-record set of greatest hits on a cassette tape.

I can't say I knew all of those lyrics, cause, no www, but most were pretty clear. Thanks.
The Alarmist
Sunday - May 31st 2026 3:03AM MST
PS

Hmmm… I’ve only taken a double-decker bus two or three times in 30 years in and around London and only to get from A to B.

I took a tour of The Tower of London, and when you get to the room with the Crown Jewels, they have a conveyor belt to keep people moving so they don’t mob the display.

Rules Britania.

🕉
Adam Smith
Saturday - May 30th 2026 9:55PM MST
PS: Good evening, Mr. Moderator...

I want to thank you for posting this song the other night...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGsk5oXw5Q4

I hadn't heard it in a while.
And I really do love it.

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𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑦
𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑
𝐺𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡
ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑦
𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑-𝑏𝑦𝑒

𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠
𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑑𝑖𝑑 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑-𝑏𝑦𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 1 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 2 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 3 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 4 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟

𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢
𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡

𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠
𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 1 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 2 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 3 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 4 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟

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Thanks again and Happy Sunday Morning!

☮️
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