Like the Dew of Hermon

We began an extraordinary day on the edge of Mt. Arbel, a cliff next to the old via romana toward Nazareth and overlooking the Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Off in the distance, the peak of Mt. Hermon was visible through the clear morning sky. Once again, Psalm 133 had come to bear: "It is like the dew of Mt. Hermon."

In cooler weather, Mt. Hermon is snow-capped. The melting snow flows down into the feeder rivers that make up the River Jordan, which flows into the Sea of Galilee at its northern point, flowing out through the south as the Jordan River down to the Dead Sea. A little goes a long way.

The same thing could be said for Jesus' ministry. Much of it took place in easy view of what we could see from Mt. Arbel: Capernaum, Bethsaida, the gathering of the disciples, the miracles of healing, and loaves and fishes, and sermons on mounts and plains...all of this predated the dramatic week in Jerusalem that was to end his life. And yet, from a story that really began in such a relatively small area, it had made such an impact that 23 Presbyterians had traveled halfway around the world to see it.

From that mount, Jesus told those who would be his followers, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Christians in this part of the world consider this their God-given calling, to continue to be that salt and light. And in the heritage of the dew of Mt. Hermon, and in the footsteps of that wandering rabbi Jesus on the shores of this Sea, they have taken to heart the message that a little goes a long way. A pinch of salt is all you need to flavor a meal; a single candlelight can be seen, even when surrounded by the darkness.

May your light so shine. May the blessings of God flow through you. May the lives you touch be moved far beyond your wildest imagination.