Hospitality

Most of Africa is what is known as an ‘Event Oriented’ culture.  Americans are ‘Time Oriented’.  The difference being that we value our schedules, deadlines, and time management.  Event oriented cultures value the event, and the people who are present at it. For example, rather than be concerned that church service begins and ends on time, people are more concerned that everyone be present. 

When we very time-oriented Americans enter an event-oriented culture we tend to get frustrated that things don’t happen in what we would consider a timely manner.  Buses are late, people are late for meetings, work doesn’t get done when we’d like it to, etc etc.  It is easy to get frustrated.  

I’m finding that Zambians do value time, schedules and deadlines.  Often, the reason why things don’t get done “on time” is a result of a lack of resources- most especially time, money, and skilled workers.  For example, we’ve been working on having our door replaced to our apartment since we’ve arrived.  It is everyone’s desire that this be completed, however the time, money, and skilled workers which this job depends upon are hard to come by.  It is still incomplete, (at the time of writing) but is in progress, and will hopefully done ‘soon.’

The value which event-oriented culture teaches us is their focus on building relationships.  When we go for walks anywhere here, if you pass someone you know both parties stop, greet each other, and ask how you are doing.  If you know them well, you ask about their family.  This brief 1-2 minute greeting would feel like an inconvenience in a time-oriented culture, holding up our busy schedules.  But here in Zambia, it would be rude to not stop and greet one another. 

In the first year students' Spiritual Formation class I experienced a dose of conviction.  We were discussing the characteristics of a Christian leader, and the students were asked to define what ‘hospitality’ means to them.  Stephen, an eager young learner, piped up and said, “Hospitality is making room for people.”

How often have I NOT ‘made room’ for people? 

Making room for people in our time oriented culture can grate against our many daily ambitions.   No, I can’t talk on the phone right now. No, I can’t go out to lunch. No. No. No. And our feeble excuse as we block out the most valuable part of life is that “I am busy.” 

Boundaries are important, yes.  And so is accomplishing what we are responsible to do.  But the lesson of “making room for people” is one I will humbly be learning from my Zambian friends.