children's book theology:: runaway bunny

jane has always loved goodnight moon by margaret wise brown (illustration by clement hurd).





we have the audio version on my iPod so she can listen to it in the car and follow along in her book. when deanna was on her trip, jane and I were driving in the car and listening to goodnight moon, and jane noticed that there is another book, by the same author and illustrator, named "the runaway bunny." we decided to pick up the audio book and listen to that too. it seems to be a kind of prequel to goodnight moon. since then, we have read it and listened to it a thousand times. each time I listen to it, I am reminded of God's loyal love that is illustrated by the runaway bunny's patient mother.

the story goes like this:

"Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.

So he said to his mother, “I am running away.”

“If you run away,” said his mother,

“I will run after you.

For you are my little bunny.”

“If you run after me,” said the little bunny,

“I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you.”

“If you become a fish in a trout stream,” said his mother,

“I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.”

“If you become a fisherman,” said the little bunny,

“I will become a rock on the mountain, high above you.”

“If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,”

said his mother, “I will become a mountain climber,

and I will climb to where you are.”

“If you become a mountain climber,”said the little bunny,

“I will be a crocus in a hidden garden.”

“If you become a crocus in a hidden garden,”said his mother,

“I will be a gardener. And I will find you.”

“If you are a gardener and find me,” said the little bunny,

“I will be a bird and fly away from you.”

“If you become a bird and fly away from me,” said his mother,

“I will be a tree that you come home to.”

“If you become a tree,” said the little bunny,

“I will become a little sailboat, and I will sail away from you.”

“If you become a sailboat and sail away from me,”said his mother,

“I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go.”

“If you become the wind and blow me,” said the little bunny,

“I will join a circus and fly away on a flying trapeze.”

“If you go flying on a flying trapeze,” said his mother,

“I will be a tightrope walker,and I will walk across the air to you.”

“If you become a tightrope walker and walk across the air,” said the bunny,

“I will become a little boy and run into a house.”

“If you become a little boy and run into a house,”said the mother bunny,

“I will become your mother and catch you in my arms and hug you.”

“Shucks,” said the bunny,

“I might just as well stay where I am and be your little bunny.”

And so he did.

“Have a carrot,” said the mother bunny."

jane loves that part on the audio book.

she shouts out "SHUCKS! said the bunny!" and laughs out loud.

whenever I read this story I always think about the great lengths that the bunny is willing to go to to get away from his mother; and the great lengths that the mother would go to to be reunited with her bunny. I think about the ways that I rebel and run from God and the lengths that He goes through and went through to be reunited with me.

only love will go to such lengths.

at the end of the story, the bunny realizes that its futile to try and escape from the love of his mother- and in the end, he decides to stop running and enjoy her love and compassion.

this reminds me of that familiar phrase in psalm 23:

"surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life..."

the word for "love" used here is the word "hesed," which is also translated as "loyal love," "mercy," or "steadfast love."

the word "follow" is the word "radaf" which means "to pursue, or hunt."

so just like the bunny, psalm 23 tells us that loyal love is hunting you and me.

as if God were saying to us, "If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my child.”

so maybe we should take a lesson from the bunny and stop running, and just enjoy God's love and compassion.

have a carrot.

God is love.

-rev-rob