The Value of Friendship

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Reverend Doctor Stephen Wigley.

Good morning.

‘A good rabbit never gives up’. That’s the motto of Peter Rabbit in the recent TV series of his adventures and given the range of scrapes he gets into, it is perhaps just as well he doesn’t. It’s not a phrase which occurs in the original stories written by Beatrix Potter who was born 160 years ago today; but it is very much to the forefront of the updated TV version which first came out in 2012. Now I don’t remember reading the original stories when growing up and I don’t think that our three-year-old grandson Luca has read them either. But even in its modernised format, it’s one of Luca’s favourites and it’s the cuddly toy of Peter which he has to have with him when facing a moment of crisis or when preparing for bedtime.

I suspect this is something of which Beatrix Potter would have approved; by all accounts she was an enterprising businesswoman for her day who knew well the value of marketing and franchising. But I sometimes wonder what it is about Peter Rabbit, with his somewhat old fashioned coat and satchel, that so appeals to Luca. I don’t think he’s old enough to understand the motto, but I do think he appreciates Peter’s determination and sense of adventure, and has a sense of Peter’s companionship with him in facing life’s challenges.
And maybe that need for trust and friendship is something we can overlook, something which remains important to us not just in childhood years but throughout the whole of our lives. So whether a good rabbit never gives up or not, perhaps we can take a little time today to recognise the importance of friendship in our lives.

Loving Lord,
In Jesus, you offer us a friend to walk alongside us through all the challenges of life; help us to value his companionship and be willing to share it with others who feel alone. Amen.