The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-07-26

ment, and not forgetting that these
can never account for Him, and that
neither this nor any other scenery,
however grand, has ever produced
His peer, but reckoning them as it is
our duty to dol do not wonder
that Jesus who loved to dwell by the
wooing waters of Galilee, loved the
people so intensely, and without
abating one jot or title of Johns de-
mand for righteousness but rather
deepening that demand filled also
his message to the full with the CON-
passionate love of God.
Next day was Sunday the dear
est, sweetest Sunday of all our lives
Sunday beside the sea of Galilee!
There was perfect calm. The water
was smooth as glass, as if the master
anticipating our visit and preparing
for it's joys, had laid upon the un-
certain waters the command of his
peace. We went across to Tell Hum,
generally accepted as the site of
Capernaum, nothing by the way
where had been Magdala, the home
of Mary Magdalene, then the plain
of Gennessaret that sometimes has
given it's name to the Lake-the
shore from which Jesus pushed out
and spoke His first great stories of
parallels; looked up the wady to the
Horns of Hattin where the sermon
on the mount is supposed to have
been preached; observed safed, the
city set on hill that cannot be hid;
considered some ruins at the north
end of the plain which may have
been Bettisaida, so even Capernaum
instead of Tell Hum which is usually
regarded as the site of the proud and
privileged but blind city; took time
also to observe the deserted east
side of the lake, and recall scenes
from the Gospel story identified
with it's localities; and after half
day of such interesting studies,
turned again toward Tiberias but
lingerirgly 1t is here at the north
end 4~At the Lakes dimensions are
best appreciated. One can better
understand that it is Is miles long,
and 6H wide, for here is the oval's
swell. Rowing slowly south on the
quiet sea, under a mackeral sky, and
near the shore there was made for
our eyes rare picture. The deep,
rich green from the velvet hillside
crept stealthily out upon the smooth
surface of the water, and tapping up
it's glimmering sheen, and absorbing
the soft light that filtered down
through the gray clouds above, and
mixing in mountain shadows, inter-
fused and transmitted all into a
picture in which one beheld the
blended beauties of the land, the sea
and the sky. Back of US was high
Hermon, distant source of the sea,
lifting and losing it's eternal SHOWS
in the ordered clouds. And before
us, far down the lake, was it's outlet
where now a beautiful thing was
happeningr. By some feat of refrac-
ton, the light had obliterated the
mean adobe village and the very
land itself, so that it seemed as if
the whole southern shore had be-
come outlet, and the lake were NOV
ing in Divine stiffness and stateliness
between the low hills out into a
boundless ocean. Under the spell
of such inspirations no one thought
of saying the Lake is little,' nor did
any feel again like asking" Is not
| not this the carpenters SOM" but
rather did hidden man of the heart,
subdued now and tender, and rev.
erent and adoring, breathe out the
confession of persuaded Thomas,
MY Lord and my Cod"
A few sentences more will describe
our last and most lasting impression,
as it was the dearest. In the after
noon, four of us, taking for guide
and companion, little boy, walked
back four or five miles to Magdala,
and climbed the very high, mount
ainous bluff that there overlooks the
whole lake and surrounding country.
We could not have had a better
guide. What is there like the CON-
partnership of child to warm the
heart and open the mind to it's
largest susceptibility to spiritual
impression. We were very happy in
o1yr 1i+t1o frio~I liz fooo .,,>. .