EVERY VOICE COUNTS
Who can forget the classic Dr. Seuss tale, Horton Hears a Who? The timeless and uniquely American fable of the compassionate elephant who saves an entire universe of tiny creatures, all while illustrating the compelling principle that, “…a person’s a person, no matter how small. (Seuss)”
The story’s climactic ending is punctuated by a very small child being frantically carried to the top of Eiffelberg Tower, by the mayor of Whoville, while crying, “This is your town’s darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red to come to the aid of their country!” he said. “We’ve got to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts! (Seuss)” Well we know that the small child let out a YOPP that broke the bubble surrounding their universe, to which the elephant replied, “Do you see what I mean?... They’ve proved they ARE persons, not matter how small. And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of ALL! (Seuss)”
The story’s climactic ending is punctuated by a very small child being frantically carried to the top of Eiffelberg Tower, by the mayor of Whoville, while crying, “This is your town’s darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red to come to the aid of their country!” he said. “We’ve got to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts! (Seuss)” Well we know that the small child let out a YOPP that broke the bubble surrounding their universe, to which the elephant replied, “Do you see what I mean?... They’ve proved they ARE persons, not matter how small. And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of ALL! (Seuss)”
This is a great truth to comprehend, not only in a biblical sense, but also in the world of economics and other endeavors of life as well. No voice is too silent to be heard, and no person is so small that they cannot be observed. God has made each of us specially for a given purpose, and this is communicated in many passages of Scripture, but perhaps none as poetically as, Psalm 139:13-18, where the psalmists acknowledges that we are, “…fearfully and wonderfully made… in secret, and skillfully wrought." As he declares, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:14-17)” Bearing this in mind, we are struck by the comparative value of every single life in the eyes of God, and the infinite worth of the beings that He has created.
Turing from this micro-view of human life, we can also see a macro-view of all of the nations, and the eternal worth and intrinsic value that each contributes to the culture and economy of the world. Each nation brings unique talents, creative skills, cognitive abilities, and specialized capabilities, which give them a unique comparative advantage, no matter how small and relatively insignificant their economies seem to be. There exists an economic principle, called Comparative Advantage, which reflects this reality, and it implies that when not only individual nations, but individual people as well, do their part, the global economy operates most effectively. As the, 'Arm Chair Economist' puts it, “…the most powerful nation, to the least powerful and least significant nation. All nations have a reason, have a purpose for existing. All nations are necessary if the global economy is to reach its maximum. (Lemler 1)”
Amazingly, this also teaches us an even deeper truth about the Body of Christ, where, “…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:16)” For the sake of the edification of the Body, each member must focus on his/her area of comparative advantage, or as we would say in the church; their gift or calling that God has graced them with. In life, as in the church so often, “The things that a person is good at, the things that a person enjoys doing, they are not the result of cosmic accident. Instead, they are the result of Divine initiative, how God creates each person. (Zamzow)” NT passages go into great detail with this concept and paint quite a vivid word picture for us to consider. Paul, more so than any other writer, highlights the reality that:
"…indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor… (1 Cor 12:20-24)"
As a result, it’s easy to see the need for each person within the Body, as well as in society, to discover what role they were meant to play in life for truly, “All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players, performers and portrayers. Each another's audience, outside the gilded cage. (Peart)” Again, there are no, “…cosmic accidents. Every person is born in a particular time and a particular place, according to divine employment. And every person is born with a particular reason and purpose to carry out, and is properly and well-equipped to carry out that purpose. (Lemler 2)” I believe this whole-heartedly, “…a person’s a person, no matter how small." Every voice counts, there are none too silent to be heard, nor a person so small as to be unobserved!
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
Lemler, Brad. CRI 2209 Week 4. Specialization and Trade. – Part 1. Moody Distance Learning.
NKJV New King James Version. Holy Bible. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN: 2000. Print.
Peart, Neal. Limelight: Rush, Moving Pictures. Mercury Records. 1981.
Seuss, Dr. Theodore. Horton Hears a Who. Penguin Random House LLC. Print. 1954.
Zamzow, Benjamin. CRI 2209 Week 4. Specialization and Trade. Moody Distance Learning.
