The Gospel According to Horton

As a child, I read many books by Theodor Geisel, an author better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss. Some of his stories became animated TV specials. One of which was “Horton Hears a Who” (which also became a motion picture years later). Recently I found that on YouTube and watched it again.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Horton is an elephant who finds a dust speck inhabited by the Whos, a tiny race of people who live in Whoville. Other animals in the jungle think Horton is crazy for talking to beings they cannot see or hear. They tie him up and come close to boiling Whoville in a pot of oil. The Whos cry out in desperation, “We are here!” They weren’t heard by the outside world until a little boy hollered, “Yopp!” 

There are spiritual truths that can be gleaned from “Horton Hears a Who.” Sometimes it takes just one person to do something to usher in a move of God. Psalm 8:2 says, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” God often uses the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Horton repeatedly said, “A person's a person, no matter how small,” Believers have used this phrase for pro-life causes. Sadly, Dr. Seuss didn’t approve of that and even threatened to sue a ministry for printing that on their stationary. After the author died in 1991, his widow Audrey Geisel donated money to Planned Parenthood. Unlike the Whos in Whoville, unborn children cannot cry out, “We are here!” 

Atheists think it’s crazy for talking to a Being they cannot see. Yet they believe in other unseen things like gravity. I used to question God’s existence until giving my life to Him nearly thirty years ago. So if you don’t know the Lord, cry out to Him. He knows you are there.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” - Jeremiah 33:3

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