Universal Goals

Today was the day that I could finally visualize it. As I sat on a wall by the fence on the Mount of the Beatitudes, reading Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount), and gazing past the edge of the church property towards the untouched mountainside, I could just see Jesus teaching His followers. I could picture Jesus speaking in the synagogue in Capernaum and I could hear Him calling out for Peter to step out of the boat as I looked out upon the Sea of Galilee. It gave me chills to know that I was in the same exact locations that Jesus was 2000 years ago.

But aside from the typical tourist activities that our morning was filled with, we, of course, spent time at the Y. The very first thing that we did today was go on a tour of the YMCA retreat center that we are staying at. Despite the many obvious differences such as language, location, community needs, and short term goals, when it comes down to it, YMCA long-term goals are the same everywhere. In Charlotte, we may work to reduce the effects of the achievement gap in schools, and here, they work towards reconciliation and peace within the religious divisions among young people, but overall, we are all just trying to make a better world for future generations around us. In NC, the staff and volunteers work together to build the playgrounds that are at the branches, and in Israel, we pitch in to pick up trash that has scattered along the coast of the Sea of Galilee, however, in the end, we are all trying our best to improve the situation of our current surroundings. It brings joy to my heart when I see the "body, mind, and spirit" motto not only proclaimed on signs, but also in the actions of all involved in the YMCA, regardless of their location on the globe.

Written by Katey Calhoun