The Gospel of Pooh – Part 2

Arthur Goode shares more on the Gospel of Pooh, drawing spiritual lessons from the popular children’s classic. Click to see part 1

So here we are, back in 100 Acres Wood, and drawing lessons of life from Pooh and his friends.

“Later on, when they had all said “Good-bye” and “Thank-you” to Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening, and for a long time they were silent.

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen that’s exciting to-day?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I would like to use Winnie the Pooh and his friends to help us understand one of the most beguiling and important invitations Jesus gave.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I can imagine Jesus speaking to a weary and burdened group, and explaining that it needn’t be this way. He was offering an alternative lifestyle that would set people free from the loads they were carrying, the burdens they lived with.

I think his message is even more relevant today. No amount of labour-saving devices and self-help books seem to be making a difference – I look around and all I see is mounting stress and declining mental health.

What is it that wearies you? What burdens you? Do you find life and your rhythms of living a light and freeing thing, one that brings rest for your soul?

We can use four friends of Pooh as types that will help us identify areas that can operate as burdensome yokes for us, that far from bringing freedom and rest, bring weariness and trap us.

The people Jesus was addressing had their own yokes – they may be similar to ours, they might be different…

Owl represents our worldview. I was at a funeral some weeks ago of someone who had a very wealthy friend. He was grieving so much, and someone remarked to me that it doesn’t matter how much money you have it doesn’t make you happy. I find that whilst we all tell ourselves it doesn’t make us happy, but we don’t necessarily live to that wisdom.

Our worldview isn’t helpful, and it isn’t that wise. There was someone who taught once who was wise and His teachings brought freedom, joy and healing. Peace for our souls. That person is Jesus. Makes you wonder why we don’t live our lives built around His teaching rather than that of the world….

Rabbit represents the law. Rabbit seems to be bound by law and reason. We too have been brought up surrounded by rules, do’s and don’ts, should do’s and ought to’s. And it affects us. It builds into us an assumption that we’re bad and need fixing. Must do more, must try harder. It’s hard wired through a Victorian religious legacy that permeates our culture to this day. And then we splurge out sideways, dysfunctionally. Shame and secrecy lead to unhealthy addictive behaviour patterns, which you can see clearly around sex, food and money. For instance with money; you keep it secret how much you earn because you feel guilty, and it turn become less generous and spend to alleviate your guilt, accumulating more stuff and not feeling able to share it.

Law is a toxic thing and makes us nasty little pharisees, critical of others but feeling even worse about ourselves – because you can never do enough to become righteous. Effort does not produce holiness – grace does. We can never do it on our own strength – we need God, and we need to let go of this ‘not good enough’ mentality and receive the free love of our Father in Heaven.

Eyeore is misery. No I know that sometimes we get low. And it’s important to be real about it: hiding behind a mask is not a good idea. And if you struggle with depression then you need to be able to come as you are and be – not to be fixed. I’m not talking about depression, I’m talking about the world weariness. Where disappointment, hurts, pain and sadness robs you of joy. Whether you choose to stay in your cave of self-pity, or you don’t know how to get out of it, Jesus calls to Lazarus and says to come out, then remove those grave clothes and get dressed in the robes of righteousness. It doesn’t mean you can’t hit a low point ever again, but Jesus is calling all of us into a life of joy that isn’t framed by a broken past, but a glorious future. Eeyore must die and be raised into the new life Jesus offers!

Tigger might be people’s idea of a bouncy happy Christian fellow, but he represents those of us who are bound by others’ opinions. He’s always wanting to impress and never wanting to admit weakness, and in so doing he is lost. It gets him into trouble occasionally, but most of the damage is done inside – he feels that he needs to be able to be the best swimmer, the best tree climber, the bounciest tiger, in order to be accepted. And perhaps he doesn’t accept himself as who he is. This is a wearying yoke to bear, and the message today for everyone, is that Jesus loves you as you are. There’s nothing you can do that will make God love you any less, there’s nothing you can do that will make him love you any more. With that as your starting point you are free to be, free to be you, just as you are, unconditionally loved and accepted. Not only is that a light and restful place to exist, it also creates the conditions in which you will flourish and become the very best version of yourself – so it’s a win win.

It makes me wonder why we don’t all take on Jesus yoke, which is easy, and his burden, which is light. Hmmmm.

And here ends part 2 of the Gospel of Pooh

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 [AG1]