Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Gospel Trail




I'm intrigued by the opening of a new hiking trail in the north of Israel called the Gospel Trail. It is approximately 65 kilometres long and gives some spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee. I have been to Israel four times, although not for years. During those trips I managed to include some aspects not on the regular itineraries and found a way to get in some unusual scrambles, including a climb up a hillside in Galilee to an ancient Roman fortress. The word is that portions of the trail travel though areas where no people are seen for hours at a time and there is a sense of travelling back in time. I would love to walk this trail, or even a portion of it. The touristy part of Israel can be disillusioning at times. It sounds as though this could take on the nature of a pilgrimage.The article I read mentions another trail of which I wasn't aware:



The Gospel Trail is similar to another trail in the Galilee, the 62-kilometre Jesus Trail, which runs from Nazareth to Capernaum. Critics questioned whether another trail, which partly overlapped the Jesus Trail, was necessary. Some hikers also said parts of the trail were not well marked.
Yet that lack of infrastructure is what makes the trail so meaningful, organizers say.
“This is a trail you can walk with the Bible in your hand and you can meet the landscape, the animals and the flowers that Jesus met when he walked,” said Uri Sharon, of the tourism ministry.
“Until now, following Jesus’s footsteps meant going from church to church. Now pilgrims can have more of an unmediated connection with the landscape.”



Have you been to Israel? Off the beaten path at all? Would an experience such as this appeal to you?

4 comments:

IanD said...

Haven't been to Israel and likely won't anytime in the near future, but this kind of idea appeals to me on a spiritual level.

I had also never considered how Jesus might be used as a marketing tool! Seeing His name used to promote this kind of governmental, 'touristy' endevour was really quite surprising for me.

Yallah said...

The Jesus Trail also has long stretches out in nature. The Gospel Trail seems to promote that their trail goes through nature to draw attention away from how their route avoids Arab communities, such as Cana. The Jesus Trail has the goal of being a bridge between communities, Christian, Jewish and Muslim, and giving hikers an opportunity to talk face-to-face with local people. The JT helped an Arab Christian family in Cana to start a small guesthouse that hosts hikers. Accommodations are set up so hikers can spend 2 nights in Arab communities and 2 nights in Jewish communities (both religous and secular). For many hikers, meeting the diverse local people and receiving hospitality are a highlight of the journey, as much or more than experiencing nature. The Galilee was also diverse in the time of Jesus ("Galilee of the Gentiles") and the stories of the Gospels show how Jesus interacted with diverse people he encountered (tax collectors, Romans, Samaritans, prostitutes, Pharisees, etc.)

Susan said...

Have never been to Israel but both trails appeal to me - especially with the insights provided by Yallah. I would rather do the trails than the tours of the different churches/sites in Israel.

David Mundy said...

I would agree Susan that Yallah's comments add to the appeal of the Jesus Trail. There may be a continuing education opportunity for me here.

Ian, Jesus tourism has been a reality since the fourth century when Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Today religious tourism is a significant aspect of Israel's economy. The well-trained guides are mostly Jewish in background but are usually better versed in the New Testament and Christian history than the Christians who come as modern-day pilgrims. It is sacred and profane and can be deeply moving despite the unusual mixture.