A
Person’s
A
Person
Date:
7/20/2008
Psalm
21
Matthew
15.21-28
Series:
Oh
The
Faiths
You
Can
Think!
The
Theology
of
Dr.
Seuss
Delivered
by:
Dr.
William
M.
Smutz
LISTENING
POINTS:
*We
continue
today
exploring
the
many
levels
of
meaning
found
in
a
Dr.
Seuss
book.
*From
delightful
children’s
story,
to
cultural
critique,
to
theological
commentary
–
Dr.
Seuss’
tales
remind
us
that
a
good
story
speaks
to
young
and
old
alike,
and
addresses
a
variety
of
issues
all
at
the
same
time.
*The
steadfastness
of
Horton
the
elephant,
the
power
of
fear,
and
the
worth
of
those
who
fall
below
the
radar
screen
of
the
majority
of
others,
are
the
central
elements
of
today’s
Dr.
Seuss
text
–
Horton
Hears
A
Who.
*I
am
drawn
to
the
memory
of
a
brief
encounter
between
Jesus
and
a
Canaanite
woman
in
this
morning’s
Gospel
lesson,
because
Jesus
is
so
plainly
and
painfully
human…..someone
I
can
relate
to!
*He
is
in
a
hurry
and
does
not
want
to
be
bothered.
*He
is
so
focused
on
the
task
at
hand,
that
it’s
like
he’s
wearing
blinders,
and
almost
misses
the
opportunity
to
serve
the
one
whom
God
has
put
in
his
way.
*Jesus
reacts
badly
to
being
interrupted,
and
without
thinking,
refers
to
the
Canaanite
woman
with
a
stereotypical
slur
–
calling
her
a
dog!
*Luckily
for
Jesus,
and
for
all
of
us,
the
woman
he
calls
a
dog
is
a
mother
on
a
mission
to
saver
her
child’s
life.
*She
does
not
let
insults
stop
her,
but
presses
her
case
with
strength
and
humility,
and
daring
and
faithfulness.
*It
is
her
daring
faithfulness
that
opens
Jesus’
eyes
to
the
opportunity
for
service
God
has
placed
before
him,
and
that
ultimately
saves
her
daughter.
*Dr.
Seuss
and
our
Gospel
text
invite
us
to
explore
practical
ways
for
living
faithfully
–
whatever
age
we
are!
*Matthew
15.21-28….Hear
now
God’s
Word
for
God’s
people:
*************************************************************
I
saw
the
new
Batman
movie
this
past
Friday
night.
It
was
everything
my
inner-adolescent
boy
could
want
–
high-speed
car
chases,
lots
of
things
blowing
up,
a
little
bit
of
humor,
and
Batman
taking
care
of
all
the
bad
guys.
But more than just mind-numbing action, the movie was also a powerful examination of the terrible things that fear can lead individuals and whole societies to do and be.
Things
that
are
different,
things
that
we
don’t
understand,
frighten
us….
And
when
we’re
afraid
–
afraid
of
what
we
don’t
know,
afraid
of
what
we
can’t
control
–
our
first
response,
our
natural
response,
our
defensive
response,
is
to
become
angry….
And
try
to
control
or
destroy
that
which
we
do
not
know
or
understand;
to
remove
whatever
is
making
us
afraid.
While
this
behavior
may
seems
strange,
it
is
simply
the
way
most
of
us
are
wired.
We
place
greater
value
on
making
our
fear
go
away,
than
in
understanding
why
we
are
afraid,
or
what
we
are
afraid
of….
We
place
greater
emphasis
on
control
of
our
environment,
than
in
knowing
new
thoughts
and
ideas
and
even
people.
Fear-based
decision
making
prevents
us
from
taking
risks;
does
not
allow
us
to
trust
anything
new;
keeps
us
from
being
our
best…..
Fear-based
decision
making
is
usually
hurtful
–
to
the
ideas
and
people
and
possibilities
of
which
we
are
afraid…..
And
ultimately,
fear-based
decision
making
is
hurtful
to
us;
for
we
allow
our
fears
to
keep
us
from
growing;
to
keep
us
uninformed;
to
keep
us
stuck
in
the
past;
to
keep
us
from
faithfulness!
Dr.
Seuss
illuminates
the
powerful
and
destructive
forces
of
fear
in
the
story
Horton
Hears
A
Who
–
a
tale
about
an
elephant
whose
curiosity
is
greater
than
his
fears.
Horton
was
not
asking
for
trouble;
was
not
looking
for
a
cause…..
He
was
simply
sitting
in
the
cool
of
the
pool
on
a
warm
day,
just
like
the
last
few
days
have
been….
And
in
between
splashes
Horton
thought
he
heard
a
small
noise
with
his
big
ears;
and
when
he
looked
around
he
realized
that
there
were
faint
cries
for
help
coming
from
the
dust
speck
floating
by
him.
Horton
didn’t
understand
who
or
what
was
making
the
noise;
he
simply
reacted
–
figuring
that
some
small
creature
was
afraid
for
its
life
and
in
need
of
help.
Horton
said,
“I’ll
just
have
to
save
him.
Because,
after
all,
a
person’s
a
person
no
matter
how
small.”
Well,
Horton
catches
the
dust
speck,
and
gently
places
it
on
a
soft
clover
blossom
–
and
so
begins
his
nightmare.
For
a
mother
and
baby
kangaroo
who
have
seen
him
talking
to
the
dust
speck
accuse
Horton
of
being
crazy.
They
laugh
at
him,
and
call
him
a
fool;
and
even
worse,
they
try
to
splash
water
on
the
dust
speck.
Horton
tries
to
get
away
from
the
kangaroos,
but
they
enlist
other
animals
in
an
effort
to
take
the
dust
speck
away
from
Horton
and
destroy
it.
The
other
animals
are
afraid
of
what
Horton
hears
and
understands
that
they
do
not.
In
their
fearful
ignorance,
destruction
of
the
object
they
do
not
understand,
and
destruction
of
the
one
who
is
different,
who
doesn’t
share
their
fear,
seems
like
a
good
idea!
As
Horton
tries
to
escape
from
the
other
animals,
he
carries
on
a
conversation
with
the
voice
from
the
dust
speck,
and
comes
to
realize
that
an
entire
world
of
creatures
calls
the
speck
home…..
making
his
task
more
urgent.
Eventually
Horton
is
trapped
by
the
other
animals,
and
while
they
are
trying
to
force
him
to
drop
the
dust
speck
into
a
vat
of
boiling
oil…..
Horton
urges
the
small
creatures
to
make
as
much
noise
as
they
can,
so
that
they
can
be
heard
and
believed;
so
that
they
can
relieve
the
fears
of
those
who
would
destroy
them.
The
little
creatures
scream
again
and
again,
“We
are
hear!”,
but
to
no
avail.
And
then
finally,
just
before
the
fear
of
others
finally
destroys
them,
a
small
child
on
the
dust
speck
adds
its
voice
to
the
screams…..
And
suddenly
the
forest
animals
can
hear
what
Horton
has
heard
all
along;
and
they
believe;
and
their
fears
subside;
and
they
start
helping
Horton
protect
the
dust
speck!
Fear
of
the
unknown
and
unfamiliar
is
also
at
play
in
this
morning’s
Gospel
lesson.
Jesus
is
traveling
with
his
disciples,
when
they
are
startled
by
a
loud
Canaanite
woman
aggressively
demanding
Jesus’
help.
She
is
not
a
Jew,
but
a
Gentile,
and
with
fearful
unfamiliarity
Jesus
treats
her
as
if
she
is
small
and
insignificant.
The
disciples
affirm
Jesus’
initial
fear;
urging
him
to
ignore
her,
to
not
recognize
her
or
her
need.
Jesus
tries
to
put
her
off
by
announcing
that
she
is
not
in
his
service
area
–
only
the
people
of
Even
the
most
hardened
of
the
disciples
gasp
when
they
hear
Jesus
call
the
woman
a
dog.
It
is
a
common
slur
that
Jews
use
when
speaking
of
Canaanites;
but
it
is
so
out
of
character
for
Jesus.
Everyone
–
Jesus
included
–
expects
the
woman
to
melt
away
at
this
insult….
But
she
is
not
easily
put
off.
Jesus
can
not
shake
her;
his
fear
and
anger
have
no
influence
on
her;
for
she
does
not
come
to
him
for
herself,
but
for
her
ill
daughter.
A
mother
on
a
mission
for
her
child
is
not
easily
swayed!
She
knows
of
Jesus’
ability
to
heal;
but
even
more
than
what
she
has
seen
or
heard,
she
believes
Jesus
is
of
God;
she
trusts
that
Jesus
can
actually
do
what
she
has
asked….
Which
gives
her
the
courage
to
say:
“Yes,
Lord,
yet
even
the
dogs
eat
the
crumbs
that
fall
from
their
master’s
table”.
It
is
her
trust
and
daring
faith
that
make
the
difference.
It
is
her
trust
and
daring
faith
that
calls
Jesus
to
act
beyond
his
fears.
Sometimes…..oftentimes
Jesus
can’t
find
this
depth
of
faith
even
among
his
own
disciples…..
The
woman
is
granted
the
healing
for
her
daughter
that
she
seeks!
There
are,
I
believe,
two
lessons
for
we
disciples
in
this
encounter
between
Jesus
and
the
Canaanite
woman…..
First
lesson
–
that
God’s
vision
for
who
is
welcome
in
God’s
kingdom
and
at
God’s
table
is
bigger
and
more
inclusive
than
even
Jesus
initially
imagined…..
Everyone
is
valued,
everyone
is
expected,
everyone
is
invited;
there
is
room
and
abundance
for
all;
especially
for
those
who
are
considered
to
be
different;
those
we
are
most
often
afraid
of…..
For
it
is
not
God
who
considers
them
different,
strange,
fearsome,
not
worthy,
dogs……
it
is
us!
Second
lesson
–
discipleship
is
about
letting
go
of
fear;
being
a
disciple
of
Jesus
is
about
continually
moving
beyond
our
fears
to
reach
out
to
those
we
don’t
know,
and
those
that
make
us
afraid
–
the
least
and
the
last
and
the
lost.
In
our
attempts
to
control
our
fears,
and
to
control
our
little
piece
of
creation,
we
often
try
to
say
who
is
to
be
allowed
in,
and
who
is
to
be
kept
out;
who
is
recognized
and
a
person,
and
who
is
too
small
to
be
recognized;
who
has
the
wrong
color,
the
wrong
nationality,
the
wrong
religion,
the
wrong
gender,
the
wrong
educational
level,
the
wrong
sexual
orientation,
the
wrong
timing,
the
wrong
political
thinking,
the
wrong
__________
you
fill
in
the
blank!
The
daring
faithfulness
of
the
Canaanite
woman
invites
us
to
be
daringly
faithful
in
our
lives
–
especially
when
it
comes
to
ideas
and
situations
and
possibilities
and
people
that
we
fear.
Where
are
we
being
called
to
live
faithfully
beyond
our
fears
today?
Where
are
we
being
called
to
openness
and
welcome,
to
abundance
and
generosity,
to
new
ideas
and
possibilities
and
people?
Fear
of
newness
is
our
natural
response;
but
as
disciples
of
Jesus
we
are
invited,
we
are
called,
we
are
expected
to
move
and
live
beyond
our
fears…….
As
disciples
of
Jesus
we
are
invited
and
called
and
expected
to
treat
all
with
the
value
they
have
as
children
of
God.
Where,
my
friends,
are
our
fears
getting
the
best
of
us?
Where
are
we
called
this
week,
today,
in
this
very
moment,
to
practice
the
daring
faithfulness
and
faithful
humility
of
the
Canaanite
woman,
and
so
make
a
difference
for
someone
else?
With
apologies
to
Dr.
Seuss:
What
do
you
see
when
you
look
left
or
right,
or
up
to
the
stars
and
out
in
the
night?
What
do
you
feel
when
one
is
unknown?
Do
you
tremble
with
great
fears,
and
shake
down
to
your
bones?
With
Jesus
we
are
invited
to
feel
with
great
care,
to
give
others
a
nod,
to
be
always
fair.
For
what
should
we
see
when
we
consider
another
but
one
who
is
really
our
sister
or
brother!
Amen!!!