Encountering hospitality in so many forms is one of the many advantages of living in Asia. The joy that comes from fellowship around a table must be experienced; it cannot be taught.
A Danuwar girl in India walks past fields of mustard as she carries coal atop her head. She and her mother will use the coal to cook food for family and guests.We traveled about an hour outside of a capital city to visit some projects in several villages. Before leaving one area, our national partner stopped at the home of friends of his parents. Whenever he is in the area, he always visits this family to show his respect to them, he explained.
We entered the house and climbed a ladder to the second floor, which was divided into two small rooms. The wife and daughter warmly welcomed us, motioning for us to take a seat on the sofas in the living room. As they climbed a ladder to the next level, we chatted and waited for their return.
About 15 minutes later, the ladies, carrying trays, slowly climbed back down the ladder. They gave each of us a tiny metal plate with a boiled egg and small amount of salt, along with a cup of hot lemon tea. We ate the eggs, dipping them in the salt, and drank the tea as our national partner and the ladies caught up on news about family and the community.
Once we drove away from the home, our national partner informed us that the two ladies had treated us as honored guests, serving us the best of the food that was in the house that day.
The gospels give insight into the value that Jesus placed on hospitality in his ministry. Hospitality is just one of the relational disciplines revealed in the teachings of Jesus.
The public ministry of Jesus began at a wedding. Though there as a guest, his first miracle contributed to the success of the event. The night before he died, Jesus hosted an intimate dinner party for his closest followers. After his resurrection, the two disciples in Emmaus recognized Jesus at the table as he was breaking bread to share with them.
Peter’s first epistle leaves no doubt about the attitude that we should have about hospitality. As we join others at a dinner table, our prayers of gratitude before the meal provide an opportunity to welcome Jesus into our conversations.
Soon after our return to South Carolina for our stateside assignment, we stopped for fuel at a convenience store. We recognized that the family operating the business was from Asia, and we were soon sharing stories about our families and discussing some of the adjustments they had to make when they moved to South Carolina. In South Asia, such a scenario most likely would have included an offer of chai (Indian tea) and a longer visit.
As we were leaving the store, the lady reached under the counter and gave us a box of flavored tea bags to use when making our next pot of chai. This was another reminder to us of the value of hospitality in nurturing relationships across cultures.
*Name changed for security reasons.
Bolling grew up in Ware Shoals, S.C. She and her husband, Philip,* met while attending the same university. Most recently, they have served as mentors in South Asia and have focused on developing interactive training curriculum that helps people grow in their understanding of disciplines that are fundamental in developing relationships locally and globally. The Bollings’ son, his wife and their three grandchildren live in the Ware Shoals area. One daughter teaches first grade in Central Asia, and another daughter helps resettle refugees in Texas. The Bollings will soon complete 25 years of service with the International Mission Board in Asia.