Hunny! 40 Days in the 100 Aker Wood – Day 31 – Wednesday after 5th Sunday of Lent
To Read:
“How did you fall in, Eeyore?” asked Rabbit, as he dried him with Piglet’s handkerchief.
“I didn’t,” said Eeyore.
“But how -“
“I was BOUNCED,” said Eeyore.
“Oo,” said Roo excitedly, “did somebody push you?”
“Somebody BOUNCED me. I was just thinking by the side of the river – thinking, if any of you know what that means – when I received a loud BOUNCE.”
“Oh, Eeyore?” said everybody.
“Are you sure you didn’t slip?” asked Rabbit wisely.
“Of course I slipped. If you’re standing on the slippery bank of a river, and somebody BOUNCES you loudly from behind, you slip. What did you think I did?”
“But who did it?” asked Roo.
Eeyore didn’t answer.
“I expect it was Tigger,” said Piglet nervously.
“But, Eeyore,” said Pooh, “was it a Joke, or an Accident? I mean —”
“I didn’t stop to ask, Pooh. Even at the very bottom of the river I didn’t stop to say to myself, Is this a Hearty Joke, or is it the Merest Accident?’ I just floated to the surface, and said to myself, It’s wet.’ If you know what I mean.”
“And where was Tigger?” asked Rabbit.
Before Eeyore could answer, there was a loud noise behind them, and through the hedge came Tigger himself.
“Hallo, everybody,” said Tigger cheerfully.
“Hallo, Tigger,” said Roo.
Rabbit became very important suddenly.
“Tigger,” he said solemnly, “what happened just now?”
“Just when?” said Tigger a little uncomfortably.
“When you bounced Eeyore into the river.”
“I didn’t bounce him.”
You bounced me,” said Eeyore gruffly.
“I didn’t really. I had a cough, and I happened to be behind Eeyore, and I said ‘Grr-oppp-ptschschschz.””
“Why?” said Rabbit, helping Piglet up, and dusting him. “It’s all right, Piglet.”
“It took me by surprise,” said Piglet nervously.
“That’s what I call bouncing,” said Eeyore.
“Taking people by surprise. Very unpleasant habit. I don’t mind Tigger being in the Forest,” he went on, “because it’s a large Forest, and there’s plenty of room to bounce in it. But I don’t see why he should come into my little corner of it, and bounce there. It isn’t as if there was anything very wonderful about my little corner. Of course for people who like cold, wet, ugly bits it is something rather special, but otherwise it’s just a corner, and if anybody feels bouncy —”
“I didn’t bounce, I coughed,” said Tigger crossly.
“Bouncy or Coffy, it’s all the same at the bottom of the river.”
………………….
“It’s like this, Christopher Robin,” began Rabbit, “Tigger – “
“No I didn’t” said Tigger.
“Well, anyhow there I was,” said Eeyore.
“But I don’t think he meant to,” said Pooh.
“He just is bouncy,” said Piglet “and he can’t help it.”
“Try bouncing me Tigger,” said Roo eagerly.
“Eeyore, Tigger’s going to try me. Piglet, do you think –“
“Yes, yes” said Rabbit, “we don’t all want to speak at once. The important thing is what does Christopher Robin think about it?”
“All I did was I coughed,” said Tigger.
“He bounced,” said Eeyore.
“Well, I sort of boffed,” said Tigger.
“Hush!” said Rabbit, holding up his paw.
“What does Christopher Robin think about it all? That’s the point.”
“Well,” said Christopher Robin, not quite sure what it was all about. “I think —”
“Yes?” said everybody.
“I think we all ought to play Poohsticks.”
(The House at Pooh Corner – Eeyore joins the Game)
From the Scriptures:
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you but that you be knit together in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been made clear to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
(1 Corinthians 1v10-13)
To Reflect:
“It’s like this, Christopher Robin,” began Rabbit, “Tigger – “
“No I didn’t” said Tigger.
“Well, anyhow there I was,” said Eeyore.
“But I don’t think he meant to,” said Pooh.
“He just is bouncy,” said Piglet “and he can’t help it.”
“Try bouncing me Tigger,” said Roo eagerly.
“Eeyore, Tigger’s going to try me. Piglet, do you think –“
“Yes, yes” said Rabbit, “we don’t all want to speak at once. The important thing is what does Christopher Robin think about it?”
“All I did was I coughed,” said Tigger.
“He bounced,” said Eeyore.
“Well, I sort of boffed,” said Tigger.
Today’s episode on the river bank has a strangely familiar feel to it. What does it remind me of? Was it the Church Council meeting at St Barnabas on the slopes of Table Mountain where there always seemed to be concern about a lack, and questions about the reason for said lack, of teaspoons in the church hall? Was it the Provincial Synod meeting in Durban when the first vote to allow women to become priests was defeated by, as a cynical journalist friend of mine said, ‘A whole bunch of White men wandering around wearing dresses’ – well to be precise the House of Clergy were wearing cassocks. Or was it the feverish after church conversation over coffee as to what to do about the biscuit crumbs made on the carpet by the children attending Messy Church (to be honest I think there is a small clue in the name….)
Wherever we find ourselves I am sure we have found ourselves at a church meeting where at one end is an angry and upset Eeyore and at the other end a turbo-charged and unrepentant Tigger. Who knows, perhaps we have even been the main protagonists? This is a long way from the unity our Beloved intended for us. But sadly, it seems the Church (if our Scripture reading is anything to go by) has had form in this area from the very beginning.[1] With our petty arguments over whether we were being ‘Bouncy or Coffy’ or even ‘Boffy’ how ever will those around us be able to see we are Christians by the way we love one another?
We know both Tigger and Eeyore are in the wrong. Tigger should have been more aware of who he bounced into, apologised and really ought to have been at the bridge helping everyone rescue Eeyore. Eeyore on the other hand, regardless of him being a classic ISTJon the Myers Brigg Indicator, should have learnt to try and be forgiving a little instead of moan, moan, moan all of the time. Poor Christopher Robin, like our Beloved all he wants (as do we all) is for his family of friends to get on with each other so that they can spend the afternoon together doing nothing instead of worrying over what ‘twice nineteen’ is. Why can’t we all just get along? We are all equally loved, we are all equally forgiven, we are all equally redeemed, why do we insist – as did the first disciples of our Beloved – to have a row over who is the greatest and rightest and bestest? (It always amazes me that they have this argument immediately after Jesus had to tell them off for not letting children come to Him). Can they, can we only hear our own voices, our own hurts, our own need to justify ourselves? Surely the Gospel of God’s love is bigger than our petty ‘Bouncy or Coffy’ or even ‘Boffy’ arguments?
When the beloved Desmond Tutu was questioned whether God was on the side of the Poor and the Oppressed (the starting place for Liberation Theologians such as myself) he responded with, ‘The problem is we worship a God who is biased; God loves sinners.’ When we learn the truth that we are all loved regardless of who we are the Tigger in us will run to seek forgiveness and the grudges of our Eeyoreness will melt away as we follow Christopher Robin’s lead and decide that perhaps the best answer to our angst is together to go and play Poohsticks.
To Pray:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
(St Patrick)
To Do:
1) If you are more of a Tigger learn to look before you bounce. And when you bounce into someone be quick to repair the damage you make and seek forgiveness
2) If you are more of an Eeyore learn to look up more often. In this way we can learn to move out of the way when Tiggers abound instead of staying still and being bounced
A Reminder:
Have you planned your trip to play Poohsticks during the Easter Holidays yet?
Please Note: These reflections are also published on my blog: suffolkvicarhomes.com on Twitter as @SuffolkVicar, and on my public Facebook page Rev Andrew Dotchin
If you would like them as a daily email please send a request to vicar@felixparish.com
Acknowledgements:
Text from ‘Winnie the Pooh’ and ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ by A.A. Milne copyright © The Trustees of the Pooh Properties.
Line illustrations copyright © The Estate of E.H. Shepard.
Colouring of the illustrations copyright © 1970 and 1973 The Estate of E.H. Shepard and HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Prayers are from ‘The Little Book of Prayers’ edited by David Schiller copyright © David Schiller 1996: Workman Publications.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
These Reflections, ‘Hunny! 40 Days in the 100 Aker Wood’ are copyright © Andrew Dotchin 2024
[1] Biblical Scholars note that there is a missing Letter to the Corinthians written before the First Letter we have in which Paul seems to be even more disheartened by their lack of unity. Living together is not an easy task.
Suffolk Vicar 