This video course consists of a 208-page course book, a 90-minute video, a group guide and notes for teachers.
The course explores:
People are God's priority
Galilee was the province of Palestine where Jesus grew up and where he exercised his early ministry. In this course we study a reconstruction of the region at the time of Christ, and especially of Nazareth and Capernaum.
In the chapter on Capernaum, for instance, we consider the town where Jesus chose to live, probably because it was strategically located in Galilee. Archeologists have discovered and excavated the town this century and have found that about a thousand people lived there, in similarly-built, simple, middle-class houses.
The mystery of the Incarnation implies that God became human in Jesus Christ. Galilee was Jesus' world. The Galileans were his people. In his love and concern for them Jesus set an example. All of us have our Galilee.
The story on the video brings out the implications for today in a modern parable. Patricia, a country doctor in Colombia, clashes with a powerful landlord in her concern for landless farmers. Should she leave her people, to escape a personal threat to her life? Or should she stay?
Good teachers allow their pupils to think.
Jesus spoke the colloquial Aramaic of Galilee. Snatches of that language have been recorded by the Gospels, most notably the cry of abandonment on the cross, "Eli lama sabachthani? - My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
At the point of origin of all the Gospels we always find Jesus' Aramaic words. But then we find the translation of these words by the evangelist into a Greek text with characteristic Greek ideas and expressions. Finally we have the formulation of Jesus' message and its meaning in our own language.
Jesus' thinking was determined by the limits of the language of his own society. Yet, paradoxically, by speaking a limited language, Jesus gave his universal message an almost unlimited scope. The working out of what he said is our job, a job for each and every Christian, and all of us together in the Church. Jesus could not handle concepts developed in our languages, such as discrimination, human rights, trade unions, democracy, or even: Church, sacrament, contraceptives and confirmation. Where does that leave him as a teacher today?
Bad teachers impart ready-made knowledge, good teachers make their pupils think creatively. As the best teacher of all time, Jesus enabled us to interpret the principles of the Gospel for our own day and age.
The story on the video presents the dramatic experiences of Don Roberto, an author of textbooks for children. He discovers that his teaching can enslave or liberate. What shall it be?
God's Kingdom brings justice, truth and love
We study the economic and political situation in Jesus' Galilee. Most of the land was in the hands of a small, wealthy elite of landowners. The Romans exercised military control and imposed heavy taxes. Jesus deplored the fact that money dominated everything. He saw it as the root cause of the social disorder. He pointed time and again at higher values and priorities. Jesus preached the coming of his Father's Kingdom of justice, truth and love.
One of the main means of establishing that Kingdom was his principle of 'the overflowing measure': giving generously; forgiving rather than taking revenge; loving even one's enemies; overcoming evil and opposition by doing good. It has great implications for our present-day involvement in politics and social justice. We have to fight for liberation, but, if at all possible, with non-violent means.
The greatest example of Jesus' non-violent approach is his own passion and death. Jesus saw himself as the non-violent, suffering Servant of Yahweh.
On the video we see what these principles imply. A group of slum dwellers is unjustly evicted from their homes. Should we side with Carlos who believes in prayer and peaceful demonstration, or with Rafael who prepares for bloody conflict?
For reviews of MY GALILEE MY PEOPLE, click here and here.
In the UK, the Video is available from McCrimmons, 10-12 High Street, Great Wakering, Essex SS3 0EQ. tel. 01702-218956; email: orders@mccrimmons.com.
The entire course My Galilee My People can be bought as one complete set. It includes the 90-minute video, a full course book of 208 pages and guide book for groups.
The three parts can also be bought separately: Jesus Loves His People, Jesus' Language and Jesus Confronts Political Power. Each includes a 30-minute video and short 64-page course book.
MY GALILEE MY PEOPLE has been co-produced in the following languages and countries: Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, Dutch (Belgium and the Netherlands), English (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA), French (Belgium and Canada), Finnish, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (Central and South America, USA). Adaptations in other countries are in preparation.
For the addresses of our international distributors, click here.
