A Tale of Two Seas !

Sitting in the Geography class in school, I remember how fascinated I was when we were being taught all about the Dead Sea. As you probably recall, the Dead Sea is really a Lake, not a sea (and as my Geography teacher pointed out, if you understood that, it would guarantee 4 marks in the term paper! ….)

It is so high in salt content that the human body can float easily. You can almost lie down and read a book! The salt in the Dead Sea is as high as 35% - almost 10 times the normal ocean water. And all that saltiness has meant that there is no life at all in the Dead Sea. No fish. No vegetation. No sea animals. Nothing lives in the Dead sea. And hence the name: Dead Sea.

While the Dead Sea has remained etched in my memory, I don't seem to recall learning about the Sea of Galilee in my school Geography lesson. So when I heard about the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and the tale of the two seas, I was intrigued. Turns out that the Sea of Galilee is just north of the Dead Sea. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea receive their water from river Jordan. And yet, they are very, very different.

Unlike the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee is pretty, resplendent with rich, colorful marine life. There are lots of plants. And lots of fish too. In fact, the sea of Galilee is home to over twenty different types of fish. Same region, same source of water, and yet while one sea is full of life, the other is dead. How come? Here apparently is why….

The River Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee and then flows out. The water simply passes through the Sea of Galilee in and then out - and that keeps the Sea healthy and vibrant, teeming with marine life.But the Dead Sea is so far below the mean sea level, that it has no outlet. The water flows in from the river Jordan, but does not flow out. There are no outlet streams. It is estimated that over a million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day, leaving it salty. Too full of minerals. And unfit for any marine life. The Dead Sea takes water from the River Jordan, and holds it. It does not give. Result? No life at all. Think about it….

Friends, Life is not just about getting. It is about giving. We all need to be a bit like the Sea of Galilee.In fact, we are fortunate to get Health, Wealth, Education, Knowledge, Love, Respect, etc. But if we don't learn to give, we could all end up like the Dead Sea….Everything in Life would simply all evaporate, just like the water in the Dead Sea.

If we continue to live with the Dead Sea mentality of merely taking in, more and more of everything, the results can be disastrous. One should make sincere efforts to make sure that in the sea of one’s life, one has necessary outlets, so that, more and more unconditional love, kindness, forgiveness, wealth, wisdom, etc. can be shared.

Friends, one should make sure not only to get but also to give, to share, to open the taps, so that, floodgates to happiness are opened…Only then the Magic of Life can be experienced!

Have a Great Day Friends!