I arrived in Hyderabad, India almost two weeks ago now. It was love at first sight. There has not yet been a place to draw me in so quickly. The people are kind and beautiful, the food is exquisite, and the streets are vibrant with color and activity. The city is an incredible artist that is yet to be discovered, constantly changing and manipulating itself to create something new in every passing moment.
I will be spending the next seven weeks completely immersed in Indian culture. I have been so blessed to have already had the opportunity to attend an Indian birthday party. I was invited by some locals that I had met that knew the boy. David was turning four years old. His home is about a 15 minute walk through the city from where I am staying and though it was small, the life and color it contained made it magnificent. Indian households are very family oriented. It is common to find three generations living in the same home, so it was not surprising to find 30 people in at this home.
David and his family are Christians, so the party began with a time of prayer for David. During prayer, a cake with four candles was brought to the center of the crowd where David was being held in his mother’s arms. Once prayer was over, the candles were lit and everyone started to sing Happy Birthday, and much to my surprise they sang in English (they speak a language called Telagu). The song ended with confetti and silly string as David’s parents blew out the candles for him. David then took a small bite of cake for himself and then he took another and fed it to his closest friend by the hand. That friend along with David’s immediate family then did the same for each of the most honored guests, which included myself. This went on until everyone was fed some cake.
When it was time for dinner the most important guests were led into a small dining area where our shoes were to be removed. We were then instructed to sit and wait to be served. After no more than five minutes the unmarried women of the second generation and the eldest girls of the third generation entered the room and gave each of us a glass of water. Although the water from the tap is considered unsafe, it would bring shame to the family if I did not drink, so I drank cheerfully. We were then served rice and chicken curry, which is a rare treat because the culture is dominantly vegetarian. We each also received a small glass of Coke. Once we had finished eating, the young women came around with a large pot of water and several small glasses, which they used to wash our hands (you always eat with your hands, but only the right one because the left is unclean).
The night ended with old family stories and lots of laughter, but all I could think about was that I had only just met this family and still they showed me hospitality, such that I had never experienced before. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Hebrews 13:2, which reads, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” How often in our lives do we overlook and neglect those who are unfamiliar to us? The hospitality that I experienced at this party is common in much of the eastern world. The family had no idea who I was, but they recognized that I am still a person and so I was treated like royalty. In the western world we often forget that people are, in fact, people and we see them as objects and obstacles even, so we feel like our inhospitality is justified, but there is only need for this justification because we are already crooked to begin with. So, “do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers”. They are still people, they are still God’s children, and who knows, they may even be angels.
