I Meant What I Said

Anyone who grew up reading Dr. Seuss like I did, will remember the kooky places and characters in his stories as well as the quirky language that delights the ear.  One of my favorite characters was Horton, an endearing elephant.  In the book “Horton Hatches an Egg”, he meets a lazy and fickle bird named Mayzie.  Mayzie is tiring of sitting on her nest, waiting for her egg to hatch.  She’s ready for fun and anything that takes her away from the drudgery of tending that nest.  After wishing that someone would relieve her of her duties, along comes Horton.  Being the very nice and lovable elephant he is, Horton agrees to give Mayzie a “short” break, which turns out to be much longer than expected.  He endures ridicule (why I love fiction – elephants can actually sit in trees!), treacherous weather, being captured, shipped overseas to eventually suffer the humilities of life in a traveling circus.   Finally the egg hatches, and a tiny “elephant-bird” emerges. (Mayzie does eventually return, but only after its too late.)

The real lesson of the story is summed up in one of Dr. Seuss’ most famous lines, when Horton says:

“…I meant what I said,

And I said what I meant…

An elephant’s faithful,

One hundred per cent.”

And Horton was rewarded for his faithfulness.   I am reminded of that wonderful story and Horton's tremendous faithfulness each time I look at my own little Horton and smaller yet, baby elephant-bird.  Mom gave them to me one Christmas as tree ornaments – but needless to say, since I don’t have my Christmas tree up year around, they’ve found a place in my hutch.
In this popular Dr. Seuss story, Horton displays the kind of integrity and faithfulness that is so rare today.  (Maybe it's always been rare -- there are numerous Bible stories that indicate this).  Horton meant what he said and followed through with it.  Horton could have been paraphrasing Matthew 5:37 when Jesus said to his disciples “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”  (NIV translation).

When I was an adolescent and came across this verse for the first time, I wondered, what in the heck does that mean?  But as I grew older and demonstrated my own times of fickleness, (e.g. agreeing to do something and then later reneging on my promise); this particular passage became more and more meaningful.  

I’m intrigued by the simplicity taught and encouraged in the Quaker and Mennonite traditions.  I think Jesus is touching upon one aspect of that simplicity: simple speech, say what you mean, and mean it.  Everything else is superfluous (evil, actually as He says).

One of the hallmarks of integrity, I believe, is simple speech, but beyond that, remaining faithful to one’s promises especially when the going gets tough.  Having been divorced, this is a painful subject for me but I have been fortunate to know people in my lifetime who have exemplified this faithfulness.   And their faith in God has played an important role in their lives. But it doesn’t have to be a tough situation.  Even the simplest situations can trip us up.  For me this is where have to rely on prayer.  Talking to God is the only way I can continue to work through a “promise” or situation where it’s only too easy to say “no” or back out. That’s probably why faithfulness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22…”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Horton the elephant was a true model of that faithfulness.  Now that’s the gospel according to Dr. Seuss!