The Queen of
Sheba had heard many things about this King, about the wisdom that
Yahweh had granted him. She had heard, but she did not believe until
she went to see him, spoke with him, asked him all of her questions.
Then she knew that Yahweh was a great God, who blesses greatly, and
it took her breath away.
Yemen, the probable
home of the Queen of Sheba, now the poorest country in the Middle
East, no longer remembers Yahweh. With eleven civil wars in the past
sixty years and the Arab Springs uprisings throughout the region, the
country has had little opportunity to stabilize, creating an ideal
climate for al-Qaeda bases to grow. Desert and mountains, camel herds
and terraced farmland, slaves and businessmen, qat and mangoes, all
rub shoulders in the still tribal, southwestern-most point of the
Arabian peninsula, an entirely Muslim land. The Queen of Sheba once
traveled great distances to witness the blessing of Yahweh and now
her homeland is one of the least-evangelized countries in the world.
Some recent
headlines about Yemen suggest the depth of difficulties their
citizens face: Terrifying Yemen Hostage-Taking, Yemen Government
Signs Peace Deal with Shia Houthi Rebels, Dozens of al-Qaeda
Militants Killed in US Drone Attacks on Yemen, Yemen President Warns
of Civil War. The tragic list goes on, the opportunities for
Christian involvement there close, and Yemen’s emigrants pour into
American cities.
In New York City
alone, the Yemeni population is at least 20,000 members.
In each of the five New York City boroughs, as well as other
American cities like Oakland, CA and Dearborn, MI,
Yemeni immigrants own small grocery and convenience stores. They are
hard workers, sometimes working fifteen hour days seven days a week,
and sending much of their income home to their extensive familial and
tribal networks in Yemen. Most of them have no intention of staying,
but dream of making enough money to one day return to their country
and family. They are as close as a can of Coke, or bar of soap. The
most dangerous thing that one need dodge to get to them is a speeding
taxi or a wandering pedestrian. But, is there anyone doing it?
Currently, there is
little evangelical ministry focused on Yemenis in Metro New York.
Like the Queen of
Sheba, they have come from the ends of the earth, to our street
corner. They have left poverty, violence, and war; homeland,
familiarity, and family to start a new life or sustain their current
one, as our neighbors. They have come with questions, their eyes open
for something great. If we do not go to see them; shopping at their
stores, sharing with them the Good News of Jesus, and answering all
their questions, when they are right before us, then how will they
know that Yahweh is a great God who blesses greatly? What will take
their breath away?
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