Beware the Snake!
The season for swooping magpies has now well finished and we have now entered the season for sun baking snakes! Just the other day I came across an Eastern Brown snake sun baking on the local bike track. I stopped to observe and photograph it and while slowly moving, I noticed its tongue began flicking more rapidly. Suddenly, the snake doubled back and very quickly wriggled into local vegetation. The Eastern Brown is a very quick and agile and a very venomous snake. We need to beware and keep our eyes open and keep a safe distance from reptiles like this..
At this time of the year, the days are getting longer and warmer and snakes and other reptiles are coming out of hibernation and are often hungry and a little cranky! Seeing the flicking forked tongue of this brown snake leads me to ask the question, “Why does a snake flicker its tongue?” Scientists tell us that its forked flicking tongue captures microscopic scent and chemical particles from the air enabling the snake to “taste” the air and so discern both potential prey and danger. Observing the snake’s flicking forked tongue reminded me of the old idiom “speaking with a forked tongue” – meaning telling lies or being deceptive.
There is a well known story of an employee of Henry Heinz who spoke with a “forked tongue”. Henry Heinz had become the well known manufacturer of Heinz canned food. From small beginnings, rapid growth occurred and by 1919 he was employing over 6000 people in 25 factories. Under his good leadership, the company was noted for its honesty and fairness as it worked to pioneer safe and sanitary food preparation which benefited many people of the world.
One day, Mr Heinz was walking around his factory when he observed a young employee who worked for him. This young man’s responsibility was to weigh the fruit and vegetables brought in by the farmers. “Lots of fruit today, Mr Heinz,” said the young man. “Fine”, said Mr Heinz, “Keep up the good work”. Mr Heinz moved on but soon became aware the young man followed him and had something more to say, “You know, I have a quick eye and hand so when I weigh the produce the farmers bring in, I can slip a few extra kilos for you that the farmer will not know about. That will help your profits!”
A little while later, the young man was called to Mr Heinz’s office. Mr Heinz gave him his pay packet and told him he had been given the sack. “But I was helping you make money”, the man objected. Mr Heinz countered, “You were robbing the farmers who were selling me fruit and you were robbing me of something more precious than money. I am an honest man”. Mr Heinz laid his hand on the young man’s shoulder and said to him, “There is only one right way to weigh and do anything else, always be honest. Always do the right thing to the other person and to yourself”. The young man’s plans for deception were not appreciated.
The Bible tells a story involving deception where Satan used a serpent to deceive Adam and Eve in the garden. The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). Adam and Eve chose to disobey their Creator and the disease of sin and deception spread to us all! (Romans 3:23). The consequences of this has been horrific - death, disease, broken relationships, suffering and even the creation itself is damaged. Thankfully Jesus came on a rescue mission to planet earth to deal with the consequence of sin and deception with his sacrificial death on the cross. In response, we need to confess our wrongdoing, repent and receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
In the meantime, on these warmer days, beware of snakes and be reminded not to speak with a “forked tongue” – honesty is always the best policy!
