2nd Sunday After Epiphany 01/20/1985

Sermon.19850120.(2nd Sunday After Epiphany)(Following Jesus).pdf

Overview

Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss was a favorite story that my Dad used for children's sermons. On this occasion, he used Yertle the Turtle (and that plain little turtle whose name was just Mack) for the children's service and then used the story again for the non-children's sermon.

Transcription

Family Service January 20, 1985

I hope you enjoyed the story of “Yertle the Turtle”. It has become for me something of a modern day parable. A story which helps us understand what is going on around us today. No matter where we look on the globe, our eyes fall upon places where social and political upheaval is taking place. In some places such as Nicaragua it erupts in Civil War. In Afghanistan, a people offer continuing resistance to an invasion even though vastly outnumbered in arms and personnel by the Soviets. In our own land, black citizens and others more recently come to citizenship, protest and cry out for their share of the American dream. What is happening is that, all over the world people who have been at the “bottom of the stack” in their societies, have begin to “burp” and past social, and political arrangements are being shaken. Millions of “little Macks” all over the world are saying enough is enough. Like a wave which moves around the Earth, there is a demand for societies which are free and open. Societies with a greater amount of economic and political justice. Societies in which human life will be treasured. The cries will not cease. The yearnings will not go away. Folk will be answered with justice, or more likely the military. As Christ’s men and women, we should see in the times, the clash of the rule of God and Christ, and the rule of men. The clash is violent. Power is seldom shared willingly. Nevertheless, this is the nature of the historical moment in which we struggle to be faithful and loyal to Christ, the lover of not a few, but the many. As we assist one another to be faithful, we should not forget. Most societies tend to be organized to benefit the few rather than the many. For example Egypt, Dickens’ England (the Industrial Age), the Communist Revolution (USSR). The promise of America is opportunity for all. We are perhaps unique in the history of nations, in the number of citizens participating in benefits. But we need to be vigilant. The power of the corporate dollar leads to new plants overseas and closing here, unemployment, and a growing underclass. It is the exception rather than the rule when societies are organized for the benefit of the many. Rulers are reluctant to share power and privilege. They hold on, because they have the police and the army too. And as we assist one another to grow in Christ, young and old, we need to remind ourselves that, we are in training to “take on” all the King Yertles, when their rule begins to break the backs of the citizenry. Ours is a ministry to all, for the benefit of the many. As citizens of two cities, we have a vision of how society should be ordered “kingdom style”, and we have the courage and the life of Christ, to draw that to the attention of the rulers of the cities of man. The Roman Catholic Bishops, in their pastoral on the US economy, are acting responsibly as citizens of the city of God and the City of man. We Christians are your friendly subversives. We act out of Christ’s love and Christ’s love for all. We confront the powers-that-be when right and wrong, in love.

References

Yertle the Turtle - Dr. Seuss

On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,

Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.

A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.

The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.

The turtles had everything turtles might need.

And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

They were... until Yertle, the king of them all,

Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.

"I'm ruler", said Yertle, "of all that I see.

But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me.

With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond

But I cannot look down on the places beyond.

This throne that I sit on is too, too low down.

It ought to be higher!" he said with a frown.

"If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be!

What a king! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"

So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand

And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.

He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone

And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.

He made each turtle stand on another one's back

And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.

And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile.

What a wonderful view! He could see 'most a mile!

"All mine!" Yertle cried. "Oh, the things I now rule!

I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!

I'm the king of a house! And, what's more, beyond that

I'm the king of a blueberry bush and a cat!

I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!

For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

And all through the morning, he sat up there high

Saying over and over, "A great king am I!"

Until 'long about noon. Then he heard a faint sigh.

"What's that?" snapped the king

And he looked down the stack.

And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack.

Just a part of his throne. And this plain little turtle

Looked up and he said, "Beg your pardon, King Yertle.

I've pains in my back and my shoulders and knees.

How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?"

"SILENCE!" the King of the Turtles barked back.

"I'm king, and you're only a turtle named Mack."

"You stay in your place while I sit here and rule.

I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!

I'm the king of a house! And a bush! And a cat!

But that isn't all. I'll do better than that!

My throne shall be higher!" his royal voice thundered,

"So pile up more turtles! I want 'bout two hundred!"

"Turtles! More turtles!" he bellowed and brayed.

And the turtles 'way down in the pond were afraid.

They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed.

From all over the pond, they came swimming by dozens.

Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins.

And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack.

One after another, they climbed up the stack.

Then Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,

He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky!

"Hooray!" shouted Yertle. "I'm the king of the trees!

I'm king of the birds! And I'm king of the bees!

I'm king of the butterflies! King of the air!

Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!

I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!

For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

Then again, from below, in the great heavy stack,

Came a groan from that plain little turtle named Mack.

"Your Majesty, please... I don't like to complain,

But down here below, we are feeling great pain.

I know, up on top you are seeing great sights,

But down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.

We turtles can't stand it. Our shells will all crack!

Besides, we need food. We are starving!" groaned Mack.

"You hush up your mouth!" howled the mighty King Yertle.

"You've no right to talk to the world's highest turtle.

I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea!

There's nothing, no, NOTHING, that's higher than me!"

But, while he was shouting, he saw with suprise

That the moon of the evening was starting to rise

Up over his head in the darkening skies.

"What's THAT?" snorted Yertle. "Say, what IS that thing

That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?

I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!

I'll build my throne higher! I can and I will!

I'll call some more turtles. I'll stack 'em to heaven!

I need 'bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!"

But, as Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand

And started to order and give the command,

That plain little turtle below in the stack,

That plain little turtle whose name was just Mack,

Decided he'd taken enough. And he had.

And that plain little lad got a little bit mad.

And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.

He burped!

And his burp shook the throne of the king!

And Yertle the Turtle, the king of the trees,

The king of the air and the birds and the bees,

The king of a house and a cow and a mule...

Well, that was the end of the Turtle King's rule!

For Yertle, the King of all Sala-ma-Sond,

Fell off his high throne and fell Plunk! in the pond!

And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he,

Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.

And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free

As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.

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