A Sermon for Sneetches, Both Starful and Starless

(I wrote this as the opening of a sermon I gave yesterday - 8/15 -  at Manhattan Beach Community Church. The church asked me to preach on a Dr. Seuss book, as they were doing a series of worship services based on his stories.  For those who don't know it, The Sneetches describes creatures who come in two forms - one group of Sneetches with stars on their bellies, who think themselves superior to the other kind who lack the stars.  Along comes Sylvester McMonkey McBean with his magic machine, which, for a fee, can put stars on the bellies of the starless Sneetches.  The starful Sneetches then decide that stars are old-school, and go to Sylvester to have them removed.  The groups go back and forth, making more money for Sylvester at each turn, until they are exhausted.)

 

This sermon’s for people who act like the Sneetches

From Manhattan Beach to Manhattan’s beaches,

For people like you and for fellows like me

Who think they’re as special as special can be.

And also as often we’re sure we are junk

Cause that’s what we think when we get in a funk.

And that’s why the biz of Sylvester McBean

Became so recession-proof, as we have seen

He puts on our stars and then takes them away

‘Cause low self esteem is most certain to stay.

If his business left town it would ruin L.A.;

Our star-making business would not be okay.

Oh, the saga of Sneetches is worthy of note,

And there’s more to be said than what Dr Seuss wrote.

What is it that gets us so low yet so vain?

What drives us to make ourselves look all the same -

But look differently special at quite the same time?

A strange situation without reason or rhyme!

Conformity rules how we talk and we dress

And governs the ways that we try to impress.

We choose to wear something that sets us apart,

And tomorrow it’s selling for cheap at WalMart

But wasn’t there once an odd man long ago,

Who spoke on a mountain to people below,

And pointed to flowers, said look if you please

No garment comes close to the glory of these.

And what if Sylvester McMonkey McBean

Had seen what those people with Jesus had seen?

And what if among them had been a young Sneetch?

What did she think when she heard Jesus preach?

That what makes us special came with us at birth,

And nothing can add to that marvelous worth.

The gift of our lives is beyond all we buy.

No mall store clothes-hanger displays what’s inside

Of our minds and our bodies so perfectly made;

Compared to these wonders all other things fade.

A star on a Sneetch cannot start to compare

With the magical wonder of one single hair.

Why worry about clothing that others might see

When the eyes that we see with have such majesty?

Who needs all the rings and the spikes and tattoos?

Compared to our hearts all that stuff is old news.

Who cares about skinnies, who cares about rounds?

The weight that most matters is only three pounds.

Why fuss about tanning or color of skin?

The colors are conjured by grey stuff within.

Oh, a Sneetch would be boggled by what Jesus said,

It’s plenty to ponder in anyone’s head,

Sylvester might hate it and sneer with a smirk

But then go and look for a new line of work.