Examining Hospitality in the Three Boxes

by; Alejandro Cardeinte

Apostle Paul encouraged his fellow believers to “….practice hospitality” Rom. 12:13. Asian people are known to be hospitable. But each Asian country has unique hospitality that visitors may sometimes miss to appreciate. Hospitality has its unique significant in every country in Asian. Each has their own meaning. There are three kinds of hospitality I have personally observed;

1. Act of serving- Generally speaking, the meaning of hospitality to some Asians like the Thais is “act of serving.” When visitors come, usually glasses of water are served to each visitor. At the meal table, sticky rice container or the rice pot is placed a little distance from you so that they can serve you as soon as you ask some more. They will do it for you. Usually, what you could see on the table is only the variety of dishes. Rice is already served on your plate. The Filipino tourist reaction would be “this kind of hospitality may seem click to the Western people where they can voice what they want.” Usually, no additional purchases because no especial preparation will take place in their kitchen. Except maybe if you belong to the royal class. Contentment and humility is highly valued in each Buddhist family. Their practicality and servanthood still would want their visitors to feel special and contented with their service. They welcome their friends and visitors with their warm service.

2. Act of pleasing- In South Korea, their hospitality is shown by “pleasing” their visitors. Simple food is being served (what they only have). But you will be amaze to see their talents in music and arts and you will be energized when they will bring you to their beautiful sport’s park while having a dried picnic. They will also bring their visitors to the shopping mall, beach, park, beautiful tourist spots and etc. They would try to introduce amusing activities that would catch their visitors’ interest such as watching new release movies, going out to the music or game house and etc. Korean welcomes their friends through entertainments. Their being practical, simple, and entertaining would want you still to feel special and happy.
3. Act of giving- In Philippines, Filipinos become known as hospitable because of their extreme generosity by their “act of giving” even they don’t really have. As the first sign, as soon as visitors come in, juice or soft drink and empty glasses are offered so that the visitors have freedom to drink as much as he likes. Some poor family will offer a big container of water and empty glasses so visitors can drink as much as they like. At the meal table, the best table cloth will suddenly replace the ordinary one. Expensive glasses, spoons, and plates which are being keep in the glass-doored cabinet, which are for display only during regular days will be use to best serve the guest. Special foods in honor of the visiting guest are served. They see to it that all the dishes and rice can easily be reach by the visitors themselves. Filipinos welcome their friends through food abundance. Usually, their extreme generosity resulted to the big debt in the neighbor’s food shop and slaughtering of their chicken and etc. which is supposedly intended for the other special occasion. Our feeling rich appearance would want our visitors to feel special and satisfied. Be watchful! You are far from hunger and thirst in the hands of the Filipinos but near to high blood and the likes!
These three hospitalities represent the diverse generosity we have here in Asia. These may be true to other countries outside Asian continent as well, but the truth remains that there is nothing wrong to be different from others. A missionary should not say that our country is more hospitable than theirs. He should deeply learn to appreciate these cultural differences and not to criticize those people whose act of generosity is actually different from him. Importantly, understanding the particular meaning of the hospitality of the group of people you are reaching is important to cement our relationship with them.
A Filipino tourist whose hospitality means giving may not appreciate the Thais whose hospitality means serving. The Thais either may not appreciate the kind of hospitality Filipinos have and may say that Filipinos are not hospitable. Instead, our extreme giving may be interpreted as act of pretending and extravagance. If a Thai may happen to visit you, you don’t need to offer him ice cream or expensive drinks. A glass of water is enough. You don’t need to go out to buy many things and let him wait for an hour just to supply your kitchen to show your hospitality towards him. The worse is when we are trying to act as if we have when we actually do not have! Don’t be surprise when a Thai will ask you to eat with him in the restaurant and then you will pay individually after all, because to the Thais helping you to be in that restaurant is already hospitality. And also don’t be surprise when the Koreans will invite you to a party only to find out you will end up eating noodles! (Practical party), but don’t worry you will be playing games or watching movies and etc.
True, each group has their own beauty and uniqueness and we have our own ways to make our visitors comfortable. But as missionary, the important thing is we need to copy their ways of doing certain things so we will not appear stranger. Following Korean and Filipino hospitality when you are in Thailand may not be appropriate. If “act of serving” would mean hospitality to them then serve them completely as they see it right in their own context. If it would mean “act of pleasing” or “act of giving” then try it more abundantly as it pleases them. Through contextual hospitality, let them enjoy the comfort, convenience and warm reception more fully, that can seldom be found anywhere within your village. “Our work in this world is to live for others' good, to bless others, to be hospitable.” 2T 645, so that you can effectively minister through the real relationship you have built with them.
But let me end this up with reminders; to effectively reach certain group of people, there is necessity of learning the culture and practices. True! But we should not depend solely in our common sense, academic theories and field experiences. There may be similarities of cultural setting you had personally encountered or through your readings. But it would not be totally the same with the reality that will take place in your own situation, so that we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit all the time. What we had accumulated must not be the substitute of our devotion and dependency to God. God allows varied situation to happen so that we may learn to put our trust in Him.