Many of us grew up with the stories of Pooh Bear and his friends, Kanga, Roo, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger and Eeyore in the Hundred Acre Wood, the domain of Christopher Robin. These stories by A.A. Milne were later transitioned into animation by Disney. I remember Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day very well. The stories were fun, especially for children. But along the way, Pooh had wisdom to impart.
Here are some quotes associated with Winnie the Pooh:
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside”
“A hug is always the right size”.
“The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?”
“Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more to give way to the happiness of the person you love.”
The Winnie the Pooh stories imparted a reverence for life and friendship and feelings.
In Samantha Harvey’s book, Orbital, the six astronauts on the spaceship are from different countries: America, Japan, the UK, Italy, and Russia. Two are women, four are men. And one of the things they discover on their journey is that they all grew up with stories of Winnie the Pooh, or Winny-Puh l’orsetto, Pooh-San, Vinny Pukh. [p. 70] It turns out this is a children’s story that speaks to many different contexts. Maybe that is how it is with all true wisdom. With authentic experience. There is something we all recognize in it. And it brings us together.
As people of faith, we find wisdom and authentic reflection in the Bible and other teachings of our tradition. In books and sermons and conversations. We have a rich heritage to guide us through the living of our days.
But it is not the only source of wisdom and guidance given to humanity. There are other teachings and religions that offer guidance and appreciation for life. How could we restrict God to the voice of Christianity alone? Maybe we can even see the Wisdom of the ages brining us together by speaking through the stories of a pudgy stuffed bear.
Prayer: This Lenten season may we listen for words of wisdom especially from unexpected sources. Amen.
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Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL
The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people orbiting the Earth in a spaceship. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 