Two Snakes and Some Hats

To say that I am scared witless of snakes is most assuredly an understatement. My fear actually resembles a Dr. Seuss book: I do not like them big. I do not like them small. I do not like them alive. I do not like them dead. I do not like them plastic or rubber. I do not like them in a book. However, if I’m channel surfing with the remote control and I run across some snake show, I’m suddenly engrossed.

The other day I was watching Jeff Corwin run around like a maniac in the Everglades. He finds a coral snake in a pile of leaves, and picks it up by the head so it will be unable to strike. Okay, picture that – in his left hand dangles a coral snake, one of the most venomous snakes in the world. His right hand reaches into his left pocket and pulls out a sock. He unties the sock and dumps out a scarlet king snake. All the while, he is still holding on to the now very agitated coral snake in his left hand. He picks up the king snake rather carelessly since it is nonpoisonous (a distinction that is quite irrelevant to yours truly) and waves it around for the camera.

The only way to tell these snakes apart is by memorizing the order of their stripes. There’s a little poem, “Red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow; red touches black, it is a friend of Jack.” No sooner does Jeff Corwin relay the poem to the television audience than the king snake starts biting his right arm. Naturally, this hurts him – the animal does have teeth – but he appears nonplussed by the incident. (I, however, am curled into a ball of fear, lying on the couch.) The reason the scarlet king snake uses mimicry is so that potential predators will mistake its coloring for the deadly coral snake. Rather than chowing down on the king snake, the predator will flee instead, leaving the king snake to live his life to the fullest, doing whatever it is that snakes do.

As women, we wear many different hats. We are Christians, wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, employees, bosses, coworkers, and friends. Sometimes I think these hats turn into masks. Each different role allows us the opportunity to be a different person. At work, I may tell a joke that I would never tell in front of my family. During meetings of the church, I sing and pray and give and worship, but I may not ever open my Bible for study or share my beliefs with others outside the doors of the building. While I’m watching the snakes, I realize I can be like the king snake. I can imitate the behavior of those around me in any given situation, and that may not necessarily always consistent with my beliefs as a Christian.

Hypocrisy is something Jesus warns us about repeatedly; some form of the word “hypocrite” is used sixteen times in the book of Matthew alone. The reason is simple. It detracts from our Christian influence, both with those who aren’t Christians…but also with our friends who are. I don’t know about you, but I constantly strive to be a person who is the same, everywhere I go. And if you think about it, it’s a much easier lifestyle with a whole lot less stress. I don’t have to think about where I am before I act. I just am.

How about you? Do your actions match your beliefs, or are you trying to blend in with the world?