Daily Devotions and Podcasts

SCRIPTURE  Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”? WORDS OF HOPE If you have ever had any question in your studies of the Bible about Genesis being written by more than one author, look no further than the first verse of Chapter 3 in which the serpent slithers his way into biblical immortality. The first two chapters have just wrapped up the beautiful Creation poem, concluding that all was good, very good. Then comes Chapter 3. Enter the snake. Things were not so very good anymore. The author uses the serpent to personify temptation, introducing discernment in the eternal struggle between good and evil. It reminds us of the consequences of disobedience, yet it is not pictured as the embodiment of evil itself, but rather crafty, a persuasive thinker. In the Christian Scriptures, Jesus praises the snake for its wisdom; “Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.” (Matthew 10.16) The snake was also used as the symbol of the Tribe of Dan in the Hebrew Scriptures, the tribe of the wise and discerning Judges. Moses himself used a sculpture of a snake as a reminder of the wisest decision to follow. But human history has not treated the snake well. Most of the misconceptions began when the snake was inaccurately interpreted as the Devil in disguise. He was not. He was just an animal that later readers in the Christian era decided to retrofit with their own characterization of evil incarnate. The snake’s reputation never recovered. Even today, many readers insist that the animal was and is the devil. There are those among us, however, who honor a knowledge of science and the ecology above centuries-old superstitions. Today is World Snake Day, an international celebration dedicated to recognizing the importance all efficient predators among our neighbors in nature. Like sharks, snakes perform an essential role in the balance of wildlife, and like sharks, they should be left alone, not only because they could do us harm, but because we could do greater harm to them. They are essential in nature. We are not. They are also not pets. 75% of all snakes that are sold in the exotic pet market do not survive and many more die in poacher-for-profit hunts. And still others are killed simply because they are snakes in the assumption that all snakes are venomous. They are not. In the United States, among the thousands of species of snakes, there are 22 recognized species that are venomous. The best known are rattlesnakes, cottonmouth water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. Each is easily recognized and all are important predators of rodents and other small mammals that spread deadly diseases to humans. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors, all our neighbors, and some of our neighbors are snakes. I’m sure on that point most of us would agree. And the best way to love many of our neighbors is to leave them alone. We have invaded the snake’s world with our incessant expansion into environments where we do not belong. World Snake Day is a good day to remember we have more than enough predators in our own human community that need our full attention instead of vilifying a valuable player in God’s Creation. Let the snake have its own world while we make our best effort to patch up our own. PRAYER God of All, thank you for the vast variety of your Creation, for all the kittens and puppies, the Tasmanian Devils and the Angel fish, and we thank you on this special day for the essential work of your snakes. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare