Hunny! 40 Days in the 100 Aker Wood – Day 37 – Wednesday in Holy Week

Owl coughed in an unadmiring sort of way, and said that, if Pooh was sure that was all, they could now give their minds to the Problem of Escape.

“Because,” said Owl, “we can’t go out by what used to be the front door.  Something’s fallen on it.”

“But how else can you go out?” asked Piglet anxiously.

“That is the Problem, Piglet, to which I am asking Pooh to give his mind.”

Pooh sat on the floor which had once been a wall, and gazed up at the ceiling which had once been another wall, with a front door in it which had once been a front door, and tried to give his mind to it.

“Could you fly up to the letter-box with Piglet on your back?” he asked.

“No,” said Piglet quickly.  “He couldn’t.”

Owl explained about the Necessary Dorsal Muscles.  He had explained this to Pooh and Christopher Robin once before, and had been waiting ever since for a chance to do it again, because it is a thing which you can easily explain twice before anybody knows what you are talking about.

“Because you see, Owl, if we could get Piglet into the letter-box, he might squeeze through the place where the letters come, and climb down the tree and run for help.”

Piglet said hurriedly that he had been getting bigger lately, and couldn’t possibly, much as he would like to, and Owl said that he had had his letter-box made bigger lately in case he got bigger letters, so perhaps Piglet might, and Piglet said, “But you said the necessary you-know-whats wouldn’t,” and Owl said, “No, they won’t, so it’s no good thinking about it,” and Piglet said, “Then we’d better think of something else,” and began to at once.

(The House at Pooh Corner – In Which Piglet Does a Very Grand Thing)

(Luke 14v16-18)

He must increase, but I must decrease.   (John 3v30)

Yesterday we were playing the Blame-Game today it’s the ‘Here I am, send Aaron’ excuse time (after Exodus 6v10-13).

Stuck in a topsy turvy house and desperate for an answer Owl and Piglet turn to Pooh – yesterday’s ‘villain’ but today’s mastermind – for ideas.  Pooh hums and aahs and comes up with an idea and then the excuses come in.  It’s a good idea but Owl hasn’t got ‘the Necessary Dorsal Muscles’.  Where have we heard that one before.  And Piglet, apparently, is not as ‘little’ a Piglet as Eeyore makes him out to be…

It seems all very well to demand an answer to a problem but when its your own feathers and spare-tyre that are part of the answer, then there is a tendency to dissemble.  This reminds me of that wonderful aphorism often used when things don’t get done;

I often wonder if the ‘Somebody’ in this story is ‘Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells’ that marvellous caricature of British society in which many people want something changed for the better but those who complain seem to be the ones least likely to take any action as they have ‘better things to do…’

But hesitancy to put our hands up to help is not always about feathers and spare-tyres.  I know when I am faced with big challenges I often have a sudden attack of Poor-Little-Old-Me Syndrome^[1].  It isn’t that I don’t want to help, nor that I won’t do all that I can to help others get a task done.  It’s all about me knowing me and me knowing me falls and fails frequently.  This is something that creeps up on people and can easily throw them completely.  

I remember a few years ago being involved in a series of meetings at Lambeth Palace and needed to sort my mind out over an important decision that needed to be made.  So I skipped lunch and spent the time alone praying in the crypt chapel in the very bowels of the Palace.  After a while I was overwhelmed.  What was I, an insignificant navy brat from a fenland town, doing at the very heart of the Anglican Communion?  How could I possibly be involved in making a decision that would affect the life of one part of the Church of England for at least the next decade?  Then our Beloved whispered to me about the strength that he bestows on all those who cry for help, my heart was settled, and I went back to the Conference Room and a decision was made.

The Patron of the Parish of Felixstowe is John the Baptist who, when questioned about his role and ministry pointed away from himself to our Beloved and said, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’.  This is a great challenge for we who walk the way of faith.  The more we walk, the more miracles happen, the more we are tempted to think we are miracle workers.  The Baptist knew this was a dangerous path and always aimed to be small instead of the next big thing.

In the end, when miracles happen through us, they tend to only happen when we give ourselves away, own our littleness, and relish that our Beloved works best with those who are the least.  After all didn’t…

God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, ²⁹ so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 

(1 Corinthians 1v28-29)

(African-American Spiritual)