Queen of Sheba

IF YOU ARE A COLLEGE GRADUATE, I’M THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

Several times in the last few days, I ran across the name Sheba. One of the occurrences was on the History Channel. A program on the Ark of the Covenant told how King Solomon and Sheba were married and had a son. It told that Solomon gave his son the Ark of the Covenant and that it is in Ethiopia today. There is a Hebrew word for that: baloney!

Actually, I thought Indiana Jones found it in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it is filed deep in the archives of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington or in the secrecy of Area 51 in New Mexico. Who knows?

I did have a conversation with the Queen of Sheba in New Orleans. No, I am not fibbing. Here is what happened.

One of the requirements for getting a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) as I attended its extension in Birmingham was that I had to spend thirteen weeks on the NOBTS campus within the four-year time frame of the program. I accomplished this by having earned four weeks of vacation a year from the cement plant. I spent my vacations in New Orleans in class, taking tests. One week was equivalent to a full term.

One of the breaks from this rigorous schedule was a trip to a steak and seafood restaurant, named Jack Dempsey’s. If you go to New Orleans, be sure to go, and order the steak and red fish platter for two. It is wonderful, and it is more than two can eat.

It was during a trip to Jack Dempsey’s that I met the Queen of Sheba. She was from a land far from Alabama, called Georgia. She attended the Marietta extension of NOBTS in Georgia, and she had been invited by some of the other female students who tagged along with several of us who were preachers. New Orleans is not a very safe place for females at night, so being the Southern gentlemen we were, we invited the ladies to tag along.

Sitting around a large table, we enjoyed the food and each other's company. It was exciting to meet new people, share our experiences, and learn of other places and traditions. The Queen appeared older than most of us. She dressed and acted sophisticated, maybe a tad snobbish. I was cutting up and having a good time, when she asked me, “How did you get into this program?”

Being simpleminded, I told her that I had registered. She then said, “I thought you had to have a college degree to register.” I responded by telling her that I had a college degree from the University of Montevallo.

She said, “If you have a college degree, I am the Queen of Sheba.”

My preacher friends and the other ladies (who wanted to be preachers, ministers of education, and counselors) waited for my response. I had two cards, small certificates, in my wallet, from the Phi Alpha Theta and the Sigma Tau Delta. Now, I know that is Greek. The Phi Alpha Theta is from the History Honor Society for having an A average. The Sigma Tau Delta is from the English Honor Society, one of the top five in the nation, for having an A average in English.

I took the cards from my wallet, gave them to her, and said, “Here, read this, Queen of Sheba.”

It was a precious moment that I cherish. My friends around the table erupted in laughter. The Queen of Sheba was speechless. She gathered her composure and asked, “Why don’t you talk like you have an education?”

I said, “I ain’t got to. My professor of public speaking told me that once a speaker establishes his or her credibility, he or she can speak as they want, as long as they communicate. Ma’am, I pastor a small rural church in Bibb County, Alabama. The people I serve are good old country people. If I talk prim and proper, I cannot communicate with them. I know when to act educated and when to be me. I am country, proud of it, and you will have to accept me for who I am.”

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions … And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard (I Kings 10:1, 6-7 KJV)

I have often wondered what she said when she went back to Georgia.

Have you ever met a Queen of Sheba?

How do you respond when someone questions your motives or actions?

What impresses you about people?

Prayer: Father, thank You for all the people that have had the privilege of sharing Your wonderful work in me. The places You allowed me to visit and the education You have given me is far greater than that of any school, university, or seminary. Having opportunities to share experiences and learn of other places is fascinating.