I've often read this story of Stephen and "assumed" that the reader is supposed to identify with Stephen. . .but I was struck this week by the possibility that we are not the Stephens of the story but rather, those who would throw the first stones.
On Sunday, I am going to try to make a connection between Horton's ability to hear the Who's down in Who-ville and Stephen's ability (openness) to seeing the hand of God at work. Both Horton and Stephen share what they have - not the gift of sight or the gift of hearing, but the object to which those gifts point - the glory of God (well, the glory of the Who's - a bit of a stretch here) - even while they are being persecuted in the hopes that the others' eyes and ears will be open to the greater truth they wish to reveal. Horton Hears a Who provides us with an alternate ending to the stoning of Stephen. Not because we can change history but because we can change ourselves.
Now, as an aside --- the 1970 MGM cartoon version of Horton Hears a Who is much better (IMHO) than the current cinematic version with the voices of Jim Carey et. al. Better quality, truer to the text, and a lot less expensive (available at most public libraries as opposed to the $24.50 we spent for 2 of us to see Horton, eat popcorn and share a soda).
On Sunday, I am going to try to make a connection between Horton's ability to hear the Who's down in Who-ville and Stephen's ability (openness) to seeing the hand of God at work. Both Horton and Stephen share what they have - not the gift of sight or the gift of hearing, but the object to which those gifts point - the glory of God (well, the glory of the Who's - a bit of a stretch here) - even while they are being persecuted in the hopes that the others' eyes and ears will be open to the greater truth they wish to reveal. Horton Hears a Who provides us with an alternate ending to the stoning of Stephen. Not because we can change history but because we can change ourselves.
Now, as an aside --- the 1970 MGM cartoon version of Horton Hears a Who is much better (IMHO) than the current cinematic version with the voices of Jim Carey et. al. Better quality, truer to the text, and a lot less expensive (available at most public libraries as opposed to the $24.50 we spent for 2 of us to see Horton, eat popcorn and share a soda).
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