WINNIE, EEYORE, AND RADICAL ACCEPTANCE

WINNIE, EEYORE, AND RADICAL ACCEPTANCE February 18, 2017

In the course of writing “The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh,” I came upon this quote from Star Trek actor George Takei. It captures the spirit of the peaceable realm of the 100 Aker Wood: “One awesome thing about Eeyore is that even though he is basically clinically depressed, he still gets invited to participate in adventures and shenanigans with all of his friends. And they never expect him to pretend to feel happy, they just love him anyway, and they never leave him behind or ask him to change.”

While I don’t know Eeyore’s diagnosis, his relationships with his friends mirror the community A.A. Milne created in the Winnie the Pooh stories. Each character is unique, some are quirky, and occasionally there are kerfuffles that trouble the waters of the Wood. Yet, through it all there is radical acceptance, forgiveness, and the chance to begin again.

Eeyore is often the wet blanket in the Wood. He always expects the worst and assumes that behind every sunny day is a dark cloud. He isn’t the life of the party. He is a curmudgeon, for whom the glass is always half empty. And, yet, he is loved and accepted just as he is. The same applies to all the characters of the Wood. Unique, eccentric, sometimes at odds, they are loved and accepted.
In the peaceable realm of the Wood, we see the gospel in action. There are no bars to jump over to be friends or part of the community. There is no bullying, no requirements, no conditions. Conflicts occur but they are part of a larger circle of respect and affirmation. The characters know each other well, and love each other well, in all their idiosyncrasies.

In this time of judgment and polarization, that affects even Facebook relationships, where people insult and de-friend each other over political disagreements or interpretations of the news, the Pooh books tell us that acceptance is not about agreement but affirmation of our holy uniqueness. It is about seeing the holiness in each other, and getting beyond the superficial to see the unique wonder of each life.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta once stated that her calling was to see God in all of God’s distressing disguises. In the Wood – and in real life – we look for God’s presence in all God’s uniqueness, and although we may have to let go of certain relationships due to conflict, still we look for the unique holiness of each life.

I don’t know the 45 President, but liking him is a spiritual challenge for me. But, I have committed myself to looking for the hurting child in the bullying man and light of God hidden within the bushel basket. I may never agree with his policies or have the opportunity to play golf with him at one of his resorts. I still can experience wonder at the holiness beneath the bloviation, bluster, and amazing comb over. I may continue to protest but, in the spirit of the Wood, I will not polarize or demean. Instead, I will pray. That is wisdom of the 100 Aker Wood and Winnie the Pooh’s wondrous adventures.


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