To Read:

Pooh had found Piglet, and they were walking back to the Hundred Acre Wood together.

“Piglet,” said Pooh a little shyly, after they had walked for some time without saying anything.

“Yes, Pooh?”

“Do you remember when I said that a Respectful Pooh Song might be written about You Know What?”

“Did you, Pooh?” said Piglet, getting a little pink round the nose. “Oh, yes, I believe you did.”

“It’s been written, Piglet.”

The pink went slowly up Piglet’s nose to his ears, and settled there.

“Has it, Pooh?” he asked huskily. “About – about – That Time When? – Do you mean really written?”

“Yes, Piglet.”

The tips of Piglet’s ears glowed suddenly, and he tried to say something; but even after he had husked once or twice, nothing came out. So Pooh went on:

“There are seven verses in it.”

“Seven?” said Piglet as carelessly as he could.  “You don’t often get seven verses in a Hum, do you, Pooh?”

“Never,” said Pooh. “I don’t suppose it’s ever been heard of before.”

So Pooh hummed it to him, all the seven verses, and Piglet said nothing, but just stood and glowed.  For never before had anyone sung ho for Piglet (PIGLET) ho all by himself.  When it was over, he wanted to ask for one of the verses over again, but didn’t quite like to. It was the verse beginning “O gallant Piglet,” and it seemed to him a very thoughtful way of beginning a piece of poetry.

“Did I really do all that?” he said at last.

“Well,” said Pooh, “in poetry – in a piece of poetry – well, you did it, Piglet, because the poetry says you did.  And that’s how people know.”

“Oh!” said Piglet. “Because I – I thought I did blinch a little.  Just at first.  And it says, ‘Did he blinch no no.’  That’s why.”

“You only blinched inside,” said Pooh, “and that’s the bravest way for a Very Small Animal not to blinch that there is.”

Piglet sighed with happiness, and began to think about himself.  He was BRAVE…

From the Scriptures:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

To Reflect:

“Oh!” said Piglet. “Because I – I thought I did blinch a little.  Just at first.  And it says, ‘Did he blinch no no.’  That’s why.”

“You only blinched inside,” said Pooh, “and that’s the bravest way for a Very Small Animal not to blinch that there is.”

Here we find ourselves again at the foot of the cross amazed and humbled by the deep selfless love of our Beloved for us.  Like Owl and Pooh safe and rescued by the selfless act and deep love of a friend we are free! 

Warts and all we are loved to the uttermost.  

Wanting to ‘unbounce’  those around us, we are loved.  

Being morose and complaining all the time, we are loved.  

Puffing out our chests and bamboozling others with our long explanations and mis-spelt words, we are loved.  

Using our littleness as an excuse for not speaking out against a bully, we are loved.  

Being driven by the lust for honey so much that even the things we give away are empty, even then we are loved.

Our Beloved looks upon us in the midst of all the mess of our sins and, not ‘blinching’ at all, demonstrates his love by stretching out His arms to embrace the whole world on the tree of Calvary.  Such love!  Such forgiveness!  Such humility!  Such hope poured out on us, His rag tag family of misfits.  Not one of us is worthy of that love.  By our refusal to walk in His ways and not welcoming all who come to us we are as implicit in his awful death as those who cried ‘Crucify!’ on a Friday morning in a market square.

A long time ago at a Suffolk boarding school in the Chapel a teenage boy was at the final service of the Easter term.  Seven Hundred boys eager to see an end to compulsory God-bothering (or compulsory anything for that matter) loudly belted out every hymn that was available to be sung.  A few lessons on Monday morning and then, if you had to travel to Scotland as did I, you were sent off to Ipswich station with a rail warrant in your hand and a heart full of joy.  But that Sunday my heart broke as we sung some lines from our final hymn:

To Pray: 

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, 

for all the benefits which you have given us, 

for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. 

Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, 

may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, 

and follow you more nearly, day by day.

To Do: 

1. Sing a song about Jesus and His love.
2. Today, leave something that has become too precious to you at the  foot of the Cross, and on putting it down say, ‘Thank you’.

Pooh said to himself, “Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which getyou.  And all you can do is to go where they can find you.”

He waited hopefully …

“Well,” said Pooh after a long wait, “I shall begin ‘Here lies a tree’ because it does, and then I’ll see what happens.”

This is what happened:

Here lies a tree which Owl (a bird)

Was fond of when it stood on end, 

And Owl was talking to a friend 

Called Me (in case you hadn’t heard)

When something Oo occurred.

For lo! the wind was blusterous

And flattened out his favourite tree;

And things looked bad for him and we – 

Looked bad, I mean, for he and us – 

I’ve never known them wuss.

Then Piglet (PIGLET) thought a thing:

“Courage!” he said. “There’s always hope.

I want a thinnish piece of rope.

Or, if there isn’t any, bring 

A thickish piece of string.”

So to the letter-box he rose,

While Pooh and Owl said “Oh!” and

“Hum!”

And where the letters always come

(Called “LETTERS ONLY”) Piglet sqoze

His head and then his toes.

O gallant Piglet (PIGLET)! Ho!

Did Piglet tremble? Did he blinch?

No, no, he struggled inch by inch

Through LETTERS ONLY, as I know 

Because I saw him go.

He ran and ran, and then he stood

And shouted, “Help for Owl, a bird, 

And Pooh, a bear!” until he heard 

The others coming through the wood

As quickly as they could.

“Help-Help and Rescue!” Piglet cried, 

And showed the others where to go.

[Sing ho! for Piglet (PIGLET) ho!]

And soon the door was opened wide, 

And we were both outside!

Sing ho! for Piglet, ho!

Ho!