"Wo ist die Bäckerei bitte?"

Are we Tourists, Businessmen, or Ambassadors? (Part 1)
 

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Have you ever noticed that tourists can be obnoxious and demanding, from their dress to their demeanor? Have we ever been that tourist? Traveling and experiencing new places is not the problem, the problem is how we treat people along the way. When we travel, we don’t have to act like stereotypical ugly tourists. I have traveled with study and mission groups that deliberately were trying to avoid fitting the description of the “Ugly American Tourist.” We cringed as we saw far too many bad stereotypes incarnate along the way. I remember one socially awkward man sitting at a nicely set table in the restaurant aboard a ship (as we crossed the channel from England to Belgium) who after not finding anything familiar on the menu loudly demanded of the waiter, “I want a cheeseburger…just give me my cheeseburger!” His outburst was embarrassingly inappropriate, but in his defense, the situation was overwhelming to him. One thing he didn’t understand was that Salisbury steak means hamburger (an interesting story in itself) in Britain. He could read English but didn’t know what was meant by the words.

Tourists have a bad reputation because they often launch out on their vacations as self-focused consumers. As consumers, they expect those with whom they come in contact to speak their language, to cater to their needs, and to do it NOW!

After I graduated from High School (in the pre-cellphone pre-GPS era) I participated in a European study tour (a lot of lectures in history & culture) led by professors from the college I was going to attend. One day we were in Germany and needed some picnic supplies for our boat trip down the Rhine. My job was to find bread. After a few minutes' walk, I came across a Konditorei. Despite what my high

school German teacher thought of me... I had been listening not only to her language lessons but to the cultural information as well. Because of her tireless efforts, I knew that the Konditorei was a bakery of cakes and dessert pastries, not bread (see pictures on either side). In those days, to buy bread you had to go to the Bäckerei. So I had two choices, to walk in and shout something like, “Give me a cheeseburger!” making a scene over why they don’t have any bread, or I could try, “Entschuldigen Sie mich Bitte, wo ist die Bäckerei?” [Excuse me please, where is the bakery?], I chose the latter.

I also knew that in Germany, if you make any attempt to speak German they love you for it. With my simple question, the woman behind the counter beamed radiantly and poured forth a stream of happy German directions that I had to say, “Langsam bitte” (slowly please). She smiled and came around the counter, walked me outside, and clearly (pointing was now in play) told me how to find the bread I needed. She knew I was a traveler that had made an effort to learn and understand and was encouraged by it, and I still remember it after more than 30 years. Later, on the river, cruising by quaint villages and looking up at the ruins of old castles, sharing a simple meal together, it was the best bread and cheese I ever ate…even without mayo.

“…The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body,

for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

Self-centered tourists may stumble across the Konditorei and see pretty things, maybe even have coffee and a treat, but may never experience the substance, nourishment, and fellowship of die Bäckerei. I don’t want to be so full of myself or to become so enamored with the sights and sounds that I end up objectifying God’s people. With even a small investment in learning about different cultures, our lives will be enriched as we become capable of encouraging others, and sincerely communicating that we value those among whom we walk and live.

Has God put us here to act like tourists? Or has he called us to be something more?  

“Give us this day our daily bread…”

(Matthew 6:11)

Note: In my next post I will continue this discussion by looking at the culture-bridging benefits and dangers facing the business person.