In our travels to different regions of the Philippines we could count consistently on two things — unpredictable traffic AND table fellowship. There were times I really wanted to order a number 1 value meal, but shared meals are not only a bedrock of Filipino culture, but a necessity to overcoming preconceptions, social status and linguistic differences.

In each Filipino church, mealtimes were significant since the quantity and quality of the food that was prepared and offered represented a critical amount of their monthly resources. It was truly an honor to share a meal with people we had just met for the first time.

One cannot overestimate the importance of table fellowship in Filipino culture. Just as in Jesus’ time the cultural significance means:

• Mealtimes are more than an occasion for nourishment;
• Friendship, intimacy and unity are a key part to the invitation and welcoming process;
• A meal is one way to invite reconciliation and at the same time stress social values and boundaries;
• The extended family is a big part of table fellowship but for invited guests it is an integral part of acceptance into their group.

Given this perspective, the spirit of their generosity easily overwhelmed my senses despite the diversity of the local cuisine. At almost every occasion, I was kindly offered the cultural staple known as balut. It is a fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. According to the pateros (the person who selects and places the egg in an incubator), street vendors will sell ready-to-eat, cooked balut out of buckets with a side serving of salt. This is the same delicacy that has been featured on Fear Factor and several episodes of Survivor.

Another Filipino cuisine is Lechon or roasted pig. Literally, a whole suckling pig is cooked over charcoal and then skewered from front to back where it is served with vinegar and pepper sauce. Lechon is usually prepared and served during special occasions and holidays. Of course, Filipinos eat more than balut and lechon. Daily fresh seafood and fruits were available along with healthy servings of rice and pancit bihon (very thin rice noodles with soy or citrus sauce and mixed vegetables).

The point is I realized the cultural significance that extends beyond the invitation to shared table fellowship. Stories or joy and challenge, provision and heartbreak, dreams and current realities — were all shared around a table of food. The very fact that our team would not only accept the invitation, but partake in cultural foods that were carefully selected and prepared bridged any perceived divide between us-and-them. Through table fellowship we shared commonalities and sought to understand differences. How many ways can you connect with your “audience” – naturally, uniquely, and on a one-to-one level? What do you have in common with a parent, student, retired person, a neighbor or a person who avoids “church people” altogether?

In case you are wondering — a McDonald’s Big Mac tastes just the same and Lechon tastes just like bacon.