Horton is a hero! The Horton I am referring to is, of course, that large, lovable elephant in the classic Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hears a Who. It’s a cute and fun fantasy of a story. But what makes this particular book so special is that within its whimsical pages is a message. There’s a moral to the story and it’s what makes Horton a hero.

The story begins with Horton and a small speck of dust. The startling thing about this speck is that a teeny, tiny voice is coming from it. Perhaps it is because of his huge ears that Horton is the only one able to hear it. Upon closer inspection he discovers a whole new world on this little piece of dust, a place called Whoville. The Whos of Whoville are in danger and afraid. Horton with his big ears and big heart promises to keep them from harm. And there begins the battle! Since none of the other creatures can hear the Whos, Horton is mocked and the inhabitants of Whoville really are in danger of being destroyed. Many lessons can be taught from this tale. It shows the importance of responsibility, keeping your word, and standing alone in spite of what others think.

There are two quotes from the book that stand out to me. You are probably familiar with them as well. Horton expresses his concern and philosophy by saying, “A person’s a person, no matter how small”. The other quote is found near the end of the book. As the Whos get desperate to be heard they gather together and cry out as loud as they possibly can, “We are here, we are here, we are here”! It is in these two well-known lines that we can find what I consider the main message of this story.

When I think about the statement, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”, my mind goes first of all to the smallest of persons, that is unborn children. These little ones are so easily dismissed and destroyed. Perhaps because they cannot be heard, the value of their existence is denied. I wonder though if there is a silent cry imploring, “We are here! We are here! We are here!” Now I know that Dr. Seuss was not dealing with the abortion issue when he wrote this book, but the principle of his message applies, and it is true and good and right.

There are other small persons we need to consider. These are not necessarily small in size or stature, but in significance. When we speak of significance, we view it from our perspective. There are no insignificant people to God, but by society’s standards, many people appear to be unimportant. We know who these people are. We know of them, but we don’t know them. We hear about them, but we don’t hear them. They are the needy and the neglected, the disabled and the dysfunctional, the homeless and the hurting, the failures and the forgotten. They are neighbors and strangers. They, too, are longing to be heard. There’s a line from a chorus that goes, “Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen”. Certainly it is unrealistic for us to think we can respond to them all, but perhaps if we really, really listen we will hear the cry of that one “small person” we can help.

Horton is the hero of our story not just because of what he did for the Whos of Whoville, but because in the very beginning, he took the time to listen.

Do you hear a who? If so, who do you hear?