“How does a china rabbit die?” Edward Tulane asks himself that question as he sinks to the ocean floor. Although Edward endures many trials and hardships, they change him into a compassionate and loving companion. Edward begins his life with Abilene. Everything about Edward is elegant; his long furry rabbit ears, his exquisite china head and his dapper wardrobe of the finest quality. Abilene adores Edward and – to him – rightly so. Why shouldn’t an elegant rabbit such as himself receive such consideration? Yet Abilene’s love is unrequited. Edward, bored by all those around him never listens. He takes umbrage at every perceived slight. When Abilene and her family take Edward on a ship and he is tossed overboard by a group of rude boys, his miraculous journey begins.
A fisherman discovers him in his net and Edward is grateful for the first time in his life. He feels happy just to be alive and to feel the sun on his face. He finds himself listening to the fisherman’s wife as she speaks about the pain of losing her little boy. When their daughter cruelly throws him in the garbage, Edward feels pain in his heart. Yet again Edward finds a home and love with a hobo and his dog, Lucy. For seven happy years, a once refined Edward lives the life of a hobo. Then, once again he is ripped from his family and his heart aches.
Edward’s next owner shows him how to love. Sarah Ruth is a sick little girl living in squalid conditions with only a brother to love her. Instead of Edward receiving all the attention and care, he finds himself watching over Sarah Ruth. He and her brother Bryce tenderly care for her until she dies. Edward wonders how he can go on living without Sarah Ruth. Shortly thereafter, Edward’s head is smashed and, bereft of Sarah Ruth, he yearns to leave this cruel world and be with her. But Edward’s time here is not yet over. A doll mender puts him back together and he sits on a shelf in a small but exclusive doll shop for many years sinking into despair and hopelessness. That is, until an old doll comes to sit next to him on the shelf.
Visible cracks in the old doll’s head tell the story of a life full of hardships. Edward confides he is done with loving. It is much too painful. The old doll understands but she tells him he must have courage and above all, hope. Someone will come. When someone does come for the old doll, Edward believes and hope is born. Although Edward must wait many years, he never loses the glimmer of hope that someone will come. And someone does - Abilene. But now she owns a wholly different rabbit. He might not be handsome on the outside, but he is beautiful on the inside. Each crack, each hurt taught Edward to love.
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5
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