Who

Recently, I was scanning the channels on my television, and came upon the animated movie “Horton hears a who.” It had been some time since I had seen this version of the story and so I settled down to watch and listen to Jim Carry portray the loveable, Elephant, Horton. Plus, it’s a pretty funny movie.

Those of you who might be the proud parents, or grand-parents of young children, and those who love animated movies, will remember the trials and tribulations of our loveable Horton, who while in the process of minding his own business, discovers sitting on a dandy-lion, a small speck on which lives very very tiny people called the “Whos’.” Horton is the only one who can hear the cries for help emanating from the speck sitting on top of the dandy-lion. Horton comes to the conclusion that he must now do what is necessary to help these tiny people.

The main problem in our story is of course that no one else can hear the cries for help coming from the whos’. They come to believe that since they are unable to hear anything, there must not be anything there and therefore Horton must be delusional. The story then moves to the land of Who-vile and the mayor who has been able to make contact with the elephant in the sky. The mayor finds that he is having the same problems as Horton, since the whos’ are unable to hear Horton they find that they are unable to believe in him. Both Horton and the Mayor find that the worlds they live in are just the same in their ability to imagine anything beyond what they can see or hear.

Christianity finds itself in some of the same challenges as Horton and the Mayor. We hear and see the presence of God that is beyond the senses of sight and sound; we understand that we are in a relationship with this God and God cares about the welfare of this tiny people floating upon a tiny ball in the vastness of space. Also, this God has the ability to hear the cries for help that float up to the ears of God. As with Horton and the Mayor, Christians come across those around us that seems unable to hear the voice of God. They conclude that since they cannot hear, there must not be anything there. They are unable to perceive that there might be something beyond their own senses.

In the climax of the film, the Mayor and Horton are able to get the two sides to be able to communicate with each other. The cries for help punch through so that all can hear. Horton can now complete his mission to save the whos’ and take a speck to a safe place. We must continue to get those around us to understand that their cries do not just vanish into to the vastness, but are heard by the God that loves and cares about them. “A persons a person, no matter how small.”

Praying for you as I hope you are praying for me

-Craig