Dave Zovak has ruined my image of the Pyramids forever with this photo. Here are his reflections on the experience and some insights on the Gospel and culture.
It should not have been there. It stood out like an American flag in a Middle-Eastern bazaar, but somehow it not only survived, but thrived.
Next to Egypt’s ancient symbols of pride and distinction, and nestled between two aging local businesses, stood Pizza Hut. Somehow the locals didn’t seem offended. They worked there and they ate there.
Pizza Hut somehow made a place for itself in a context which is becoming increasingly unfriendly to Western culture. How could this be? I believe the answer is simple: tasty food.
A cheese-smothered pizza is universally attractive. Once you’ve had some, you want more. Plain and simple. It doesn’t matter what kind of wrapper it comes in or who the vendor is. Pizza tastes good.
Here’s the lesson for Gospel agents. If our expressions of the gospel are “tasty” enough, we can worry less about being cultural doppelgangers.
Who doesn’t want more love, compassion, and kindness?
Certain things don’t require translation. As carriers of the Gospel, let’s not underestimate the tastiness of the real thing.
Dave Zovak
2 Comments
I’ve been in that very same pizza hut and the sensation is nothing less than weird. Here we are, overlooking one of the great wonders of the ancient world and it is juxtaposed against this symbol of globalization. Nevertheless, the air conditioning felt GREAT!
I was desperate for a piss when we visited the Sphinx in December last year and I visited this Pizza Hut also. To be honest I was pretty happy there was a very western building there … they have better toilets. :-p
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