Today, we continue our series Faith Like A Child with thoughts from special guest, Ian Roth. In this series, we have been exploring faith lessons through popular children’s literature. Many of the books shared are ones that you may recognize from your own childhood, or thanks to your children or grandchildren. Whether you have never read them or read them a hundred times, these fresh perspectives on faith are sure to spark your thinking and bless your heart. Enjoy!
Who is the greatest?
Believe it or not, it’s actually the 2nd book to feature Horton the Elephant, the first being Horton Hatches the Egg. But most know Horton from his efforts in convincing the Jungle of Nool of a simple message: “A person is a person no matter how small”. Splashing around in a pool of water, Horton hears a cry for help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can’t see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton strives to help protect the Whos and their home but is questioned, mocked, and tortured by his neighbors in the Jungle who refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton persists, and stands by that motto: "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small." Eventually, the Kangaroos and Monkeys of the Jungle can hear the Whos thanks to a big “Yopp!” from JoJo, the mayor’s son, and from then on they all vow to protect the Whos with Horton.
In today’s Scripture Reading the disciples are arguing as to “who is the greatest”. I mean come on, in a group of Jesus’ followers, there has to be a favorite, right? But Jesus, seeing where this argument was leading, showed the disciples a little child and says “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
A person is a person, no matter how small.
Now in this instance, we see “small” in the literal sense of a little child, but our culture tries to make us ignore the small people. We give recognition to those people or groups who are big and dominant. Whether it’s big figures in pop culture, high job titles, or those who belong to a cultural majority group, we have been trained, in subtle ways, to fixate on superiority. “They don’t believe like us.” “They don’t dress like us.” “They don’t talk like us.” And we think less of them. Sometimes we don’t treat others differently---but we think it. In God’s eye, the least are the most important. The poor, marginalized, abused and downtrodden are given God’s favor over the important, or wealthy, or famous. A person is a person, no matter how small.
In today’s hymn, “All are Welcome”, we see a similar message. “Let Us Build a House Where Love Can Dwell, And ALL can safely live”. Let us build a house where prophets speak, a place where ALL God’s children dare to seek. We don’t sing “Some are Welcome in this place” but, rather, “All are welcome”. If this is a hymn we are singing in our churches, then the church on earth needs to reflect this. A person is a person, no matter how small.
No matter how insignificant, alone, or degraded someone might feel due to the world around them, here at Saint Luke a person is a person no matter how small. Every Sunday, you hear the phrase “All are welcome, no exceptions”. I experienced this personally almost 4 years ago coming to this church for the first time as one of the only college students in the sanctuary. If you want to get literal by considering age and height, we saw this recently at a Vacation Bible School that welcomed children for a week to celebrate and grow the next generation. Saint Luke ministries, such as Rejoicing Spirits, Appalachia Service Project, and Feeding Thousands provide a sense of welcoming and hope to those who might not receive it on a day to day basis. I could go on and on about Saint Luke, where a person is a person, no matter how small.
In the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a person is a person, no matter how small. This can be seen in our denomination’s recent decision to become the first church in America to be a “sanctuary church body” for undocumented immigrants. Check out this excerpt on Diversity and Inclusion from the ELCA’s Mission and Values:
“As Christ’s church, we value the richness of God’s creation and offer a radical welcome to all people, appreciating our common humanity and our differences. We are a church that does not view diversity as a barrier to unity. We recognize and will challenge dynamics of power and privilege that create barriers to participation and equity in this church and society – for women, people of color, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, people who are marginalized or living in poverty, and the LGBTQ community.
In the ELCA…..a person is a person no matter how small.
But how can we live out this mission in our daily interactions? I could go on and on about ways we could improve as a society, but I think this starts through community. Avoid the presumptions and pre-judgments of the people around you. Validate others; greet and acknowledge them. If you only interact with those you know, share characteristics with, or feel “comfortable around” then you are only welcoming some. A person is a person, no matter how small. Such a simple, childhood lesson we learn from an Elephant in the Jungle of Nool, but one we can learn and grow from daily.
Listen & Learn
I’d like you to listen to a song from Seussical the Musical called “Alone in the Universe”. I think this musical number between Horton the Elephant and JoJo the Who is a perfect depiction of God’s Kingdom. It shows the powerful community we can find in God’s Kingdom, a Kingdom in which a “Person is a Person, no matter how small”. Take this time to relax, reflect, and experience your faith like a child.
God of all, big and small, may we celebrate diversity and extend radical welcome to each person. May we recognize that we are not alone in the universe, but instead experience kingdom community. And May we live our days remembering the simple truth that a persons a person no matter how small. Amen.
Special thanks to Ian Roth. Ian is a graduate of Eastern University and is an active member at Saint Luke. You can often find him singing in our choir or hanging out with the Spark Students.