Rambling thoughts on meal planning . . . with guests from IGSL. This morning I thought about inviting some of our students for dinner on Easter Sunday. Specifically, four couples from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. My thoughts went like this:
I could serve lasagna. No wait, three of the guests are from a Hindu background, and they might feel a little awkward if I offer them beef. Better not serve it. (Did you know that MacDonalds in India does not serve hamburgers? Just veggie burgers and chicken. But that's another story for another day.) I'd better get back to the menu for Sunday.
Pork adobo, a favorite Filipino dish? Definitely not. Two of the guys are from Muslim backgrounds, and I know they don’t eat pork. I would destroy our relationship in a moment if I did something so thoughtless.
Chicken is usually a good option with Asians from assorted religious backgrounds. Except for one thing. James doesn’t eat chicken. He developed an allergy to it a few years back, so chicken has been banished from all Huculak menus.
Maybe I just won’t invite anyone. Forget about the whole dinner plan. It's too complicated. No, wait. I think I should invite them. I know they will be so encouraged if I do it. It’s just that this particular combination of people is a little challenging. Hold on. I can work this out.
Goat, maybe??? Ha ha ha! I don’t eat goat! Well, sometimes I eat it, but I don’t cook it. Not that I have any religious, cultural or allergy issues with goat. It’s just that I don’t know HOW to cook it. It’s usually pretty tough. To tell you the truth, I have never tried cooking goat. Hmmm, maybe I should try! Should I do something adventurous, and go look for a goat vendor this afternoon? I know the general area of the city where the goat vendors have their shops. Wait a minute, what am I thinking?! I really have no idea how to cook it! Could I google it? “Recipes, easy, goat, menu . . . .” You know, I don’t think I want to cook goat this weekend. My mom always taught me that it's not a good idea to serve an untested recipe when you have company. But I can file this away as something that I can ask one of our students to teach me in the future. They love teaching me things.
Okay, so I am back to this Sunday’s menu. Growing up, my family’s Easter Sunday tradition was baked ham. But that won’t work, for the same reasons that pork adobo has already been slashed from my menu.
Fish is always a good option. Unless there are Tibetans coming. Tibetans abhor fish—it’s totally taboo for them. I learned this after serving fish to a newly arrived Tibetan student a few years ago. He told me later that he ate it to show his respect for me, but nearly gagged on every bite. Anyway, our Tibetan student is out of town this weekend, so he won’t be coming. So maybe fish is my best option. I could make fish curry. They would love that. And I know how to make it. Okay, let’s go with fish.
Actually, though, one thing I have learned through the years at IGSL is that it’s better to serve several dishes so that people can choose. So what could I serve with the fish? I can’t include pork. Just having it on the table would be offensive to the Muslim background students. I think some of the Hindu background students would feel the same way about beef. I am not sure because I don’t know one of the guests very well. Better to be safe than sorry. So, no pork and no beef on the table. And I’m still not up to the adventure of learning to cook goat via “Google recipes.” So, no goat either.
So that leaves chicken to go with the fish. James won’t be offended if there is chicken on the table for other people. I can do that. Man, I’m already tired and I haven’t even gone shopping yet!
Such are the practical ramifications of trying to follow Romans 14 in our unique international setting. Our students are all very clear that, as Romans 14:14 teaches, “no food is unclean in and of itself.” But most people are turned off at the thought of eating things that are taboo in their culture. I would feel the same way about eating rats or monkeys, even though I’m told there are people who eat them.
Also, some of our students are simply choosing to be careful because they want to be sensitive to the people back in their home community. Someday, when they go home, Hindus will ask them, “Did you become a beef-eater?” And they want to be able to say, “No, I’m just like you. I don’t like beef. But I have become a Jesus-follower. Can I tell you about it?” I don’t want my Easter Sunday dinner menu to stand in the way of that precious opportunity.
Fish is always a good option. Unless there are Tibetans coming. Tibetans abhor fish—it’s totally taboo for them. I learned this after serving fish to a newly arrived Tibetan student a few years ago. He told me later that he ate it to show his respect for me, but nearly gagged on every bite. Anyway, our Tibetan student is out of town this weekend, so he won’t be coming. So maybe fish is my best option. I could make fish curry. They would love that. And I know how to make it. Okay, let’s go with fish.
Actually, though, one thing I have learned through the years at IGSL is that it’s better to serve several dishes so that people can choose. So what could I serve with the fish? I can’t include pork. Just having it on the table would be offensive to the Muslim background students. I think some of the Hindu background students would feel the same way about beef. I am not sure because I don’t know one of the guests very well. Better to be safe than sorry. So, no pork and no beef on the table. And I’m still not up to the adventure of learning to cook goat via “Google recipes.” So, no goat either.
So that leaves chicken to go with the fish. James won’t be offended if there is chicken on the table for other people. I can do that. Man, I’m already tired and I haven’t even gone shopping yet!
Such are the practical ramifications of trying to follow Romans 14 in our unique international setting. Our students are all very clear that, as Romans 14:14 teaches, “no food is unclean in and of itself.” But most people are turned off at the thought of eating things that are taboo in their culture. I would feel the same way about eating rats or monkeys, even though I’m told there are people who eat them.
Also, some of our students are simply choosing to be careful because they want to be sensitive to the people back in their home community. Someday, when they go home, Hindus will ask them, “Did you become a beef-eater?” And they want to be able to say, “No, I’m just like you. I don’t like beef. But I have become a Jesus-follower. Can I tell you about it?” I don’t want my Easter Sunday dinner menu to stand in the way of that precious opportunity.
