Hunny!  40 Days in the 100 Aker Wood – Day 11 – Monday after 2nd Sunday of Lent

To Read:

The Old Grey Donkey, Eeyore, stood by himself in a thistly corner of the Forest, his front feet well apart, his head on one side, and thought about things. Sometimes he thought sadly to himself,

(Winnie the Pooh – In which Eeyore loses a Tail)

To Reflect:

Today we meet Eeyore – one of the less exuberant residents of the 100 Aker Wood – who, though often surrounded by his own bubble of gloom, despondency, and almost inevitable disappointment, still remains a cherished friend and is included in adventures as much as his moroseness permits.

And, at the forefront of caring for him, the bear leader is, well, Edward Bear.  He turns a simple “And how are you?” into a challenge to right a wrong and restore a friend.  Eeyore couldn’t quite put his finger on his dis-ease.  His response to Pooh’s enquiry about his well-being of “Not very how,” providing slim pickings for his friend.  But Pooh is determined to move beyond the banality of a too often insincere greeting to get to the bottom (or tail) of the problem.

Epistle of Straw or not it seems that, judging by the way they care for each other, the Letter of James is bedtime reading for everyone in the 100 Aker Wood!  Again and again they demonstrate openness and care for each other even when they rub (or in Tigger’s case bounce!) each other the wrong way.  Would that we could model their way of life in our communities of faith?

I suspect that the flippancy of our “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” is not intentional; at least I hope not.   Too often we find ourselves so busy and, to be honest, self-involved, that we can’t stop and check that everyone is really all-right.  A sadness as we do ‘really’ care for those close to us.  Too often we do not seem to have the time (or is it make the time?) to check whether other members of the Body of Christ have ‘lost their tail’.  Perhaps this may be because we know we would then be compelled to go on a quest with them?  All too easily we presume that when someone says, ‘I’m fine’ to our ‘And how are you?’ that they really are ‘fine’.  We move on (well I know I do) with our busy-ness and may leave behind a precious Child of God tail-less and feeling friend less. 

Sadly, even the most active of us in our communities can be seduced by a worldly spirit which says, ‘do they really need help?’  I can’t hear Pooh saying to himself, ‘Well Eeyore doesn’t seem to have missed his tail, so I don’t need to spend my time looking for it.’  Pooh sees a need and acts to meet it.  Why are we tempted to be slow to help those in need and quick to question the motives of those who ask for succour?  Our call as human beings and Followers of the Way of Christ is to provide for others whether they are the ‘Deserving Poor’ or not.  In a sense we need those who need help so that we may prove ourselves to be the followers of our Beloved every day of the week and not just on Sundays when the collection plate is passed around.

Much better to give and give again.  People may think us to be foolish and taken as a soft touch and indeed that may happen.  But is not that ‘insult’ preferable to ignoring our Beloved’s command to, ‘go, sell your possessions, and give money to the poor,’ (Matthew 19v21)?   Whenever helping another, regardless of their motive, one thing I have learnt is this.  I cannot have my hands filled by the Bounty of the One Who Loves us Best unless I first open them and let go of what I am holding on to.

To Pray: 

(The Parish Pantry Prayer)