A Hope from the Lake of Galilee and Dead Sea

I was fascinated and amazed to find out about the two big lakes in Palestine/Israel: Lake of Galilee or Lake of Gennesareth or Lake of Tiberias and Lake of Death or Death Sea. These two lakes give me a food for thought and to reflect on our life. They give insight on our life and deepen our being human.  

If you are Christian and you read the New Testament, you will find out that Jesus was calling His disciples on the bank of the Lake of Galilee, teaching on the boat by the shore-side of the lake, walking on the water of the lake, asking Simon Peter to catch fish on that lake, even after His Resurrection Jesus was appearing on the lake side, roasting some fish. So why was the Lake of Galilee so important for the people in Jesus’ time? It was because the lake gave life to the surroundings: people were coming to catch fish in the lake because so many fish were there; people were taking water from the lake for their daily use; even some big villages were found by the side of the lake. We can say that this lake gives life to the living creatures there.

I am just a bit of curious to see on the Google Map about this region of that lake. I discover that there are so many big farms and town by the side of the lake. There are lives by and in the lake.

Moreover, it is at the south of the Lake of Galilee, following the river Jordan, we will find another lake, called Death Sea or Lake of Death. Why people call it such name is that I don’t know but by its name we can say that that there is no living creature in it or by its side. By the fact that this lake has a high contain of salt or hyper saline water that make floating easily, it brings no life in it.

Interestingly these two lakes: Lake of Galilee and Lake of Death, gets the water from the same source, that is, the Jordan River. From north of the country, flowing the Jordan River that fills the Lake of Galilee and flowing trough and it enters the Lake of Death.

The question that comes up in my mind and that brings a sense of wonder within myself is that why do both lakes get different result: one brings life and other brings death, even though the two receive the same source of water? The Lake of Galilee spreads life in, around, and by itself while the Lake of Death produces no life around itself.

Therefore, why does the lake of Galilee spread life and brings life to every creature which is in contact with it? The answer is laid upon its ability to open itself. On the south part of the lake, there is an opening, which brings the water from the lake to flow out from the lake. This opening is the key. As water of the river Jordan flows to the lake from the North, the lake also allows its water to flow out at the South. The lake receives fresh water from the River Jordan and continues to refresh itself by allowing its water flowing out the lake. That is why the Lake of Galilee always produces the fresh water for the living creatures around itself and brings life to all.

On the other side, why does the Lake of Death produce death within and surround itself?  As we know that wherever, the high contains of salt in the water, there will be not any organism found in it. That is the nature of the Death Sea (the Lake of Death). But why does it produce high density of salt? Looking at the hot climate in this region, in which evaporation is very high, we will find some minerals coming in stay within the lake and make the lake contained high density of salt. So the key answer here is that Death Sea receives all the water coming in from River of Jordan but stops all the water within itself. There is NO an opening to let its water flowing out. Because of this, the Lake of death brings death and there is not a single living habitats staying within the lake and its shore-side is full of black mud which is not suitable environment for living creatures. However, in this deserted place and abandoned area like Death Sea, the goodness and blessings coming out from the lands. As we know that the black mud of the death sea contains many minerals for human body; the minerals of black mud can be used as a therapeutic and cosmetic treatments.

Nature gives a lesson for being humans; there are some moral lessons we can learn from the facts of the nature of both the Lake of Galilee and the Lake of Death above for our life. 

It is about life. Life is a mystery like nature but it can reveal itself when we come to meditate and contemplate it. Life has its own beginning, process, and purpose; such as river does it with life, it has source of streams, the process of flowing river and of filling the lake/sea, and at the end to fulfill the purpose on its ways. We are here and we want to see life; every experience we encounter and live is the experience of life but what do we see in life? What do we do with our life? How do we see life as a fairness of life? Is it a blessing and a grace? It depends on us who live our life.

However, life is not seen only from our human perspective, because it is also from the faith in God. That is God’s perspective. It means that life has its own source, that is, God. God is the source of life. As it is from God, life has its own goodness, blessings, and graces. When the life that flows from God touches other beings, they become alive and bring life. Even non-living beings have a goodness and blessings.

What is more, like the Lake of Galilee which brings life, should our life be. But in order to have life, we should open ourselves to share the blessings we receive freely from God. We must open ourselves to pour out each blessing that comes from God. We become the channel of God’s blessings to others. Not like the Lake of Death which brings death and no life found in it because it receives water and refuses to open it to sharing the water to others, should not be our life.  Our openness to others brings life and our self-selfishness brings death to others.

However, we cannot be so negative about our life when we see that our life is like a dead sea. Even though it is so, we know that we can still use this condition (dead sea condition) for the betterment of our life; we should have a hope because “at the end of this dark tunnel of our life, there is always a light”. We can make use of our bad and darkness experiences and turn them into something useful for our life and the life of others. I remember a writer said “the purpose of our life is to help others but if you cannot help them, at least don’t hurt them”. So, be a blessing for others because of the free blessing you have received from God.