CINEMA IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PORTRAYAL of American culture in a negative fashion. Therefore, I am very selective when it comes to movies. However, on occasion, I do find myself in the theatre because the quality of a particular film is uplifting as well as entertaining and is devoid of gratuitous sex, violence, and “adult” language.

Several weeks ago my wife and I went to see the screen adaptation of Horton Hears a Who, the beloved Dr. Seuss tale of an elephant (Horton) who learns of a civilization of beings (the Whos) so tiny that their entire world fits onto a speck of dust. I know, I know, it’s a children’s movie, but there are some adult principles that shine forth here. The quintessential line that reverberates from the book and from the film is:

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Crisis pregnancy center sponsors and other pro-life groups have, understandably, been drawn to this line and have used it in advertising and promoting the anti-abortion cause, much to the dismay of supporters of abortion-on-demand including, remarkably, the widow of Dr. Seuss. These folks say that the book and movie have no relevance to the abortion debate, but only emphasize the importance of every living thing (“no matter how small!”). One gets the impression that this argument is akin to the country parishioner who, greeting the preacher after a particularly pointed and convicting sermon, stated: “Parson, now you’ve stopped preaching and gone to meddling!”

Horton’s brilliant, and morally enlightened, perception that, a person’s a person, not matter how small, reminds me of an oft-quoted portion of the Jerusalem Talmud:

“Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved the entire world.”

No one can put a price on the worth of one human soul. A person’s a person, no matter how small and that includes the weak, the poor, the disadvantaged, the aged, and the tiny infant inside the mother’s womb. It seems to me that our heavenly Father especially loves those who are “small” in the world’s eyes. Can we do any less?

MEMORIAL DAY IS ALMOST UPON US. It’s that time of year, when as a nation we remember our veterans who are deceased and the sacrifices they made for freedom’s cause. It’s quite fitting, then, that we remember the story of the “Four Chaplains.”

On February 3, 1943, the troop ship Dorchester went down in the icy Atlantic off the tip of Greenland with heavy loss of life. It was not the worst disaster of a long war, but we have good reason to remember it.

There were four men aboard, chaplains dedicated to the services of God and their fellowmen. George L. Fox and Clark V. Poling were Protestant ministers. Alexander D. Goode was a Jewish rabbi, and John P. Washington was a Catholic priest.

When the torpedoes struck around one o’clock in the morning many of the inexperienced GI’s were caught sleeping without their lifejackets, although that was contrary to orders. In the fright and confusion some were still without them even after all the surplus stocks had been distributed.

Each of the four chaplains wore a life jacket when he began working among the men to comfort the wounded, to calm the shocked, to help distribute lifejackets, and to guide men toward the lifeboats.

Places in the boats were declined by the chaplains. When last seen in the light of flares just before the ship went down, not one of the chaplains still wore a lifejacket. Theirs had been forced on unwilling soldiers taught to obey the orders of their superiors. Those four dedicated men, symbolic of religious freedom in America, stood together arm-in-arm praying for those young men of America for whom now only prayers were left. This brave, selfless act should serve as a reminder to all of us of how important it is to “remember, reflect, and give thanks for our liberty.”

PARADISE. Where exactly is it? Everyone has their own idea. Some say it is in Tahiti or Hawaii or some other such place. I say its right here—right here in Michigan. Perhaps not in the winter months, but certainly now. Now is May 13 and Michigan is Paradise. It is 70 degrees, the sun is shining, and there is a slight breeze blowing. What a glorious day for a walk.

So I did just that and was mesmerized by the beauty I beheld. Blossoms were in full display. Dogwoods, Redbuds, Lilacs, and more. The sights and aromas were incredible. My neighborhood is ablaze with the handiwork of God. I know they appear every year, but the older I get, the more I enjoy them. Of course it helps when it’s a sunny day. And it was. Everything is so green, so ripe. The world has come alive again and the call of the redwing blackbird signals the maturation of this season. Spring is God thinking in gold, laughing in blue, and speaking in green.

I absolutely love this time of year. I wish May could be frozen in time. I am a child of May, as is my wife. Mine the 30th and hers the 6th. We celebrate all the month long--no, not just our birthdays, but the season itself.

And this is for our enjoyment. God has preserved this beauty in spite of the Fall. But of course there is a higher purpose for it all. Nature expresses the creative genius of Almighty God. Every flower of the field, every fiber of a plant, every particle of an insect, carries with it the impress of it's Maker. The beauty displayed before our eyes is meant to draw our attention to Him.

Harvard philosophy professor George Santayana was giving a lecture one day when he paused to look at the brilliant forsythia blooming outside the window. Many long seconds passed. Then he said, “Gentlemen, I very much fear that that last sentence will never be completed. You see, I have an appointment with April.” He left the room and never gave regular lectures again.

So enjoy the season. It’s all too brief. Look away for a while from the busy pursuits of life and gaze upon the wonder that surrounds us. Take time to smell the roses. It will alter your mood and make you feel good about life in general.

EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT ATTITUDE IS. It affects every part of one’s life. Each morning, when we rise for the day’s activities, we decide what kind of attitude we’ll take with us as we head out the door. Attitude determines everything! Here’s an example.

Jim went to church one Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note during the prelude, and he winced. He saw a teenager talking when everybody was supposed to be bowed in silent prayer. He felt like the usher was watching to see what he put in the offering plate and it made him boil. He caught the preacher making a slip of the tongue five times in the sermon by actual count. As he slipped out through the side door during the closing hymn, he muttered to himself, “Never again, what a bunch of clods and hypocrites!”

John went to church one Sunday morning. He heard the organist play an arrangement of “A Mighty Fortress” and he thrilled at the majesty of it. He heard a young girl take a moment in the service to speak her simple moving message of the difference her faith makes in her life. He was glad to see that his church was sharing in a special offering for the hungry children of Nigeria. He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday---it answered a question that had bothered him for a long time. He thought as he walked out the doors of the church, “How can a man come here and not feel the awesome presence of God?”

Jim and John went to the same church, on the same Sunday morning. Each found what he was looking for. What do we look for on Sunday morning? As we head out the door, do we go with the attitude of expectance or cynicism? It all depends.

Remember, if you only look for holes, you will think a screen is useless; yet it keeps the flies out!