Standing Up...For Others!

"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis 18:25b

Standing Up...for Others!
By Rev. William Dohle

I love Dr. Seuss! I love the way he words things and the flow of words that he uses. I love the stories he tells of the ordinary things. And I love how they sound so parabolic!

My favorite story of his is probably The Lorax. In this tale, an old man(the Once-ler) tells the tale to a young man of when his valley was filled with life and trees. Foolishly the Once-ler got so greedy he ended up destroying the valley and chasing off the life that lived there. The story features a curious character called "The Lorax" who speaks to the Once-ler about what he's doing.

"I speak for the trees," The Lorax says. "I speak for the trees 'cause the trees have no tongues.

The Lorax speaks for the trees. He pleads for the trees. He takes their cause upon himself. He suffers for them. He rallies for them. He does the same to all the life in the valley. He knows them all and pleads on their behalf.

The Lorax reminds me of Abraham. Just before Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, Abraham has a heart to heart talk with God, pleading for mercy on behalf of the people of Sodom.

"Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it...Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"

Talk about bold! But Abraham gets his way.

"If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place?

But Abraham doesn't stop there. "...what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"

God relents again. Abraham pressed. Forty? God relents. And how about twenty? God agrees. Finally Abraham makes his final plea.

"May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there." And God gives in all because Abraham spoke out.

Another character too speaks out, only this time for us. Christ Jesus himself stands before God, pleading on our behalf. Much like Abraham did before, he takes our cause upon himself. He pleads our case. He knows our suffering and our weakness. He knows our failings and our shortcomings. He knows us. He's been in our shoes. And he pleads for us before God. He speaks for us.

So...who do you speak for? Who do you plead for? When your prayers are said to God, who are you praying for? Are your prayers centered solely around your family and your own problems? Or is there something more to them? Are there people whose problems touch your heart and your life? Would you be bold enough to stand up before God himself to ask him to grant them mercy and grace?

The Lorax leaves one word behind when he's lifted away. The word "Unless." The Once-ler figures what out what means. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Take a cue from the Lorax...and Abraham...and even Christ Jesus himself. Start caring! Start caring for God's creation. Take just a corner of it to latch onto. Start caring for God's people. You don't need to take the world on your shoulders. Just share the burden. Start caring about what happens in this world. You are the righteous in Christ. You are Abraham's children. Stand up as Abraham did, take their cause as your cause, and truly be Christ to your neighbor.

God of Abraham, make us bold enough to stand up in defense of others. Forgive our stubborn, selfish, judgemental natures. Make us like your servant, Abraham, and your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.