Words of Worth

For Real and Without Wax

April 26, 2013

Velveteen-Rabbit-ArtworkThe other day I was asked this question, “What book can you read again and again without getting bored and what about that book gets you?”  At first I didn’t think the question would be easy to answer but immediately an endearing children’s book came to mind—The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.  Should I have felt guilty that my first thought wasn’t The Holy Bible?

The Velveteen Rabbit is the story of a stuffed toy rabbit that is given to a little boy as a Christmas gift. The other toys in the boy’s nursery snub the rabbit because he is only made of sawdust and velveteen while they are more expensive and mechanical and thus fancy themselves as real.  One day while talking with the Skin Horse, the Rabbit learns that real is not how you are made, rather a toy becomes real if its owner really and truly loves it. In time the Rabbit becomes the boy’s constant companion when another treasured toy is misplaced. Regardless of how worn and torn the Rabbit becomes from play, the boy loves the Rabbit no matter what and by that love the Rabbit became real.

One definition of “real” is alive, genuine, authentic, and sincere.  The Rabbit became real or authentic, because the boy loved him with genuine and sincere love.  Interestingly in the Greek culture it was a typical practice to fill the cracks of a statue or piece of pottery with wax to disguise the imperfections. However, the most sought after artistry was that which was flawless and sincere.  In Latin the word sincere means “without wax”.

That reminds me of a verse in the Bible, which I will admit is a book I read over and over again and it does get me each time I read it. The Velveteen Rabbit reminds me of Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy…” or in other Greek words, let love be unfeigned and sincere.  We are to love each other, in all of our wear and tear, for real and without wax!

And how wonderful it is to know that God our Maker and Master really and truly loves us in spite of our sinful shabbiness! (sv)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…”

Ephesians 2:4-5