"The Lonely Place" in the Galilee

One of my favorite days while touring in Israel is the day around the Sea of Galilee. It follows then that one of the most inspiring sites for me is "the lonely place" just above the Church of the Primacy.

Today, I came with a group of fifty-four persons from Mississippi led by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. Despite the size of the group, the pilgrims and students became hushed as the meaning of this site for Jesus became known.

The Gospel of Mark tells us: "In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed (1:35). On at least two other occasions, Jesus may have retreated to this cave: once when he selected the twelve disciples (Mark 3:13-19) and again when he met the disciples on a mountain in Galilee after the resurrection (Matthew 28:16-20).

This place holds the visitor. No wonder Jesus sought out the lonely place time and time again.