I’m thrilled there has been such a response to the article I posted on facebook about the child bride that passed away due to internal injuries in Yemen. So I decided to write a blog in response to some of the questions and reactions I received. I’m glad to be held responsible for the things I post on my facebook page. It helps me process at a higher level the information reported in that article. I would like to say here that today there is a new conflicting report that this particular story is possibly untrue. However, upon further research the tradition of child brides in Yemen is true and stories like this one have occurred in the past.  

My heart breaks over stories like these, because it’s not that the children are being taken and exploited by some mysterious bad guy but rather it’s the parents that are handing them over, and the government/their society is ok with it. It’s part of their culture, a horrible part of it but a part of it, an accepted part of it unfortunately.  It’s almost harder when it’s an accepted part of a culture in a country because there are no laws, written or moral, that oppose it.

 


Upon researching this issue I learned that under pressure from worldwide human rights groups in 2009 Yemen did pass a law setting the minimum age of marriage at 17 years old but this law was later overturned. The other thing I’ve learned through looking into this further is that there is a lot of worldwide exposure of this practice and that exposure has sparked outrage among the worldwide humanitarian community and pressure is being put on the Yemen government to do something about it.
I know this article is hard to read, and I'm sorry it’s wrecking you a lot of you, and yet I’m not.  This is a way for us to help, by exposing it to the worldwide community. To be upset and outraged by it. To talk about it with our friends, and inform people that it’s happening. Perhaps it will cause the people of Yemen to stop and think, "why do people think this is bad but it is so accepted here?". Who knows? But if we can be a voice for those who are voiceless I say that is the least we can do.

We need to pray. Pray for renewal of mind, for Jesus to reign in the hearts of men, and for revival to happen in the earth. Pray for the Holy Spirit to change hearts, attitudes and culture. For people of influence in Yemen to be radically changed by the Holy Spirit.

I love that our prayers don't fall on deaf ears of an uncompassionate god. But that they are precious to the Lord and they move his heart of compassion and moves his Spirit to action. I love that when we come into agreement with the Lord’s heart in prayer over something that grieves the Spirit that there is power and invitation for heaven to come to earth and change the atmosphere. We are promised that when we ask we will receive.