All Days
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Day 17-Kingdom Spread: Hospitality & Generosity
LUKE 6: 27-28 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”
TRIBAL WATCH The Khalil is a Pashtun tribe living in Pakistan with some members in Afghanistan where their origins lie. Their original place of habitation was in the Qalat-i-Ghilzai and Ghazni area until they were driven out by the Mongol invaders in the 13th Century. At that time they migrated north eastwards to Kabul and then further eastwards along the Kabul River to their present settlement in Peshawar Valley.
In recent years, the majority of the Khalil tribe have settled in parts of Peshawar city and in the village of Chamkani on the outskirts. The Khalil tribe are noted for their contribution to the founding of
Islamia College, Peshawar , the breeding ground of the Pashtun intelligentsia. Ask that the Khalil tribe would not only value the acquisition of knowledge, but the would also have a hunger for wisdom
finding Christ who is ‘the wisdom and power of God!’ Pray that Khalil Pashtuns would be exposed to the good news and come to faith for a movement towards Christ amongst this influential tribe.
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“Look, Mommy! Halima gave me this pretty necklace!”
My three-year-old daughter’s eyes were alight with joy. We had just visited our new neighbor’s house in Kabul, Afghanistan, and one of their girls had gifted Lexi a beaded necklace. The family was not particularly well-off, but the simple act of sending a guest home with a gift is second nature to Pashtuns. A few days later, Halima and her mother came over to our house for a visit. While I chatted with Halima’s mother over tea, Lexi came tiptoeing into the room and climbed on my lap.
“Can I give Halima one of my dollies?” Lexi whispered in my ear.
Having been shown such a kind gesture from Halima, my daughter was learning the way of generosity from Pashtuns. She gladly gave away one of her prized My Little Pony toys that day.
Pashtuns are taught from a young age that generosity is not simply a virtue, it is who they are. When guests come into the home, regardless of how the host feels toward them, they will be given food to eat, tea to drink, and a bed on which to sleep if they wish to stay the night. Even when a guest drops in unannounced (which is the norm), the household will work together to prepare tea for them immediately. When a family has a joyous life event such as the birth of a child or the purchase of a home, they themselves will have a celebration for everyone else to come and share in their joy rather than having a baby shower or house-warming party.
As Christians, we can learn a lot from Pashtuns about what it means to excel in the habit of hospitality. Scripture tells us not to neglect showing hospitality to strangers. Jesus told us to love our enemies. There is simply no getting around the scriptural command to love extravagantly just as we have been loved by God. In God’s infinite foreknowledge, he chose to reflect a small facet of his generosity in Pashtun culture.
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