Drink Tea?

We have found many simple ways to show hospitality to those around us.

Bare rocks tower on either side of the dry stream bed as my husband and I hike through Wadi Dana, a Jordanian nature reserve. Clusters of reeds demonstrate here and there the presence of nearly-hidden water. 

A few hours into our hike, two Bedouin men wave us from our path with the words, "Drink tea?" Their donkeys tied nearby were laden with produce to sell in town.

The men boil their traditional Jordanian sweet tea over a tiny fire. We crouch around the fire with them. Their simple invitation to share tea opens into conversation about family, the beautiful mountains and plans for the day. Their English does not extend much beyond the two-word invitation, but they seem not to mind that our Arabic requires plenty of gesturing and signing to be understood.

Parting ways and hiking on, I wonder about the message communicated in their simple invitation. With our backpacks and hiking gear, we stand out as foreigners in their territory. 

Just smiling as we walked past would have been a sufficient greeting. Instead, their invitation to share their provisions makes us feel very welcome in a new place. As we pass the tents typical of the nomadic Bedouin shepherds who live in Jordan's rural areas, in the hours to follow we receive many invitations to drink tea.

The traditions of hospitality developed in a hostile desert environment are part of Jordanian culture today. Walking down the streets of our city neighborhood, it's not unusual to have strangers invite us in for tea. We have learned to only accept if we have no immediate plans—conversation over tea often lasts more than an hour!

Coming from an American culture where inviting strangers from the street into your home is nearly unheard of, the hospitality found here has deeply impressed us. It reminds me of the story of the patriarch Abraham who, when visited by three men (actually "the Word" who was later born as Jesus Christ, and two angels), promises a "morsel of bread," then calls for his servants to prepare an extravagant meal (Genesis 18:1-22 [1] And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
[2] And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
[3] And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
[4] Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
[5] And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
[6] And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
[7] And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
[8] And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
[9] And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
[10] And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
[11] Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
[12] Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
[13] And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
[14] Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
[15] Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
[16] And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
[17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
[18] Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
[19] For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
[20] And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
[21] I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
[22] And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

See All...).  That is hospitality! 

Are these biblical examples practical today? In returning the many friendly Jordanian welcomes here the past few months, we have found many simple ways to show hospitality to those around us.

1. Bring homemade "goodies" to your neighbors. Food is the easiest way to start a friendship.
2. Greet the neighbor children. Building a snowman together might be the highlight of their week.
3. Spend time with the older people around you. We "adopted" a couple on our street as our local grandparents. Their stories of times past offer a unique perspective on local history.
4. Speak with people on public transportation. We met one of our good friends here on a bus to his home village. The conversation continued to his family's fruit trees and ended with the first of many invitations to his home.
5. Carry a set of pictures with you that show your family and scenery around your home, especially if you are working or studying far away. Pictures bridge language barriers.

Any of these small gestures of hospitality can be a part of our daily tasks to love our neighbors as ourselves. Take time to read The Welcome Guest from the Vertical Thought archives, and add a new phrase to your repertoire: Drink tea? VT