Stripes and the Circle of Life
By Matthew Marvin
I love The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It is my favorite television show. I’ve learned some lessons from the community of the Hundred Acre Woods. In the episode “Stripes,” Tigger is having the time of his life bouncing in mud puddles when all of a sudden, his friends ambush him and give him a bath. When he’s able to finally get out, it’s revealed that they’ve not only washed off the mud but his stripes as well. Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit don’t recognize him. He claims to be a Tigger, but they say Tiggers have stripes. Tigger goes through an identity crisis and attempts to be different animals. He tries being a rabbit, a bear, and a piglet but to no avail. Piglet and Pooh come up with the idea to paint stripes on our hero but the rain washes them away. Tigger and his friends are discouraged because they are judging Tigger by mere appearance. They are making assumptions.
How many times have we had people judge us by appearances and allowed the assumptions of others to define us? How many times have we focused on mere appearances and made up our minds about someone without knowing any context? Humanity even treated God in this way.
In the book of Mark, Jesus is portrayed as a misunderstood figure. Jesus–God in the flesh– is misunderstood by his family, by the crowds, by the Gerasenes, by the people in his hometown, by the religious leaders of the day, and even by his own disciples.
As someone who lives with autism, Bipolar 2, OCD, and a speech impediment, I can honestly say I know what it’s like to feel misunderstood. There are times when I feel that I can’t do anything right, that there is something fundamentally wrong with me, that I am unworthy of love and respect, and that I am alone.
Tigger, downcast, laments his lost identity, calling himself nothing. Tigger is heard by Eeyore who throughout the day has addressed him as “Tigger. When gain addresses him as “Tigger.” This time Tigger asks why he keeps calling him “Tigger.” He has no stripes. Eeyore replies that he’s still a Tigger inside, that he is not defined by outward appearance. Tigger says, “You mean I’m a Tigger no matter what!” and starts bouncing jubilantly. Grounded in his identity, his stripes come back. A similar scene plays in the movie The Lion King. Simba believes from the lies of his enemy, Scar, that he is responsible for the death of his father, Mufasa. Filled with shame and not wanting to face the pride, Simba runs away, intending to never return. He makes friends with Timon and Pumbaa, who tell him to have no worries. Scar takes over the savannah and allows the hyenas to over-hunt. Nala (Simba”s childhood love interest) runs away to find help and ends up discovering Simba, the rightful king. Simba allows his past to define him and attempts to shrug off his duty. Later, Rifiki the baboon confronts Simba and calls him Mufasa’s boy; he challenges Simba's attitude and fear. The pinnacle of his argument is that his father lives in Simba. Simba encounters the ghost of Mufasa. Mufasa tells him, "Simba you have forgotten me.” Simba replies “ No, how could I”. Mufasa answers him, “You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.” Simba replies, how can I go back? I am not who I used to be.” Mufasa responds, “Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king remembers who you are.” How many times have we allowed Satan, our enemy, to define us because of things in our past? We need to remember who we are.
Paul writes “If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Who are we? We are a forgiven people. Who are we? We are unconditionally loved. Who are we? We are chosen by the Highest Being in the cosmos. Who are we? The light of the world, salty flavor of life, the pleasing aroma of Christ, God’s masterpiece. No one can snatch us from his hand. We need to remind ourselves that we were made in God’s image. One might ask what are practical ways of doing this? In my own life I reminded myself by diving into God’s word every day, treating scripture as a dog treats a bone, keeping a gratitude log, writing down everything that goes right throughout my day. It can be something simple such as “I saw my friend”, or “I had bacon”, or “I read a good book”.
“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2
