October 2018
Have you read Dogger
by Shirley Hughes? I asked just that in
a school assembly this week and I was surprised that so many of the children
had read the book - Dogger was
published in 1977 while I was still at school!
The book always brings a lump to my throat because of the
extraordinary kindness of Bella as she resolves the problem that has engulfed
her little brother. Dave has lost
Dogger, his dearly loved soft-toy dog and no-one can find Dogger anywhere. Dave is still very sad on the day of the
school summer fair when, suddenly, on the toy stall, he spots his beloved
Dogger with a price tag on him: 5p. Dave
only has 3p and he can’t make anyone understand that Dogger is really his and
shouldn’t be for sale. Eventually he
finds big sister Bella. She has been
having a great day and has even won first prize in the raffle, a huge yellow
teddy bear with a beautiful blue silk bow.
Bella and Dave rush to the toy stall but they are too late; Dogger
has just been bought by a little girl who now refuses to sell him again despite
Bella’s pleading. Dave cries. The little girl cries and then she catches
sight of Bella’s big yellow teddy and puts out her hand to stroke his beautiful
blue silk bow. “Then Bella did something
very kind …”
I can’t say more in case you haven’t read the story.
I don’t know what Shirley Hughes intended when she wrote the
book but if anyone wanted to picture Jesus Christ’s extraordinary kindness
towards us then it would be hard to better this. Bella found a way to rescue Dogger for Dave
but it cost her dearly. Jesus Christ
found a way to be able to rescue you and me from our self-destructive rebellion
against our Creator but he paid a heavy price; the cost was his life.
As November 11th approaches remember Jesus’ words,
“Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” If you remember who Jesus is and the
agonising depths of his suffering on the cross, then this really means “No-one
has ever loved you as Jesus did.”
Sincerely
Graham Burrows
