Just for Fun–Animal House

From my early years I have always loved animals. For some reason (some say due to residue from the Fall) I have especially loved animals. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the deep south in a community with a creek and lots of woods nearby. I have caught all kinds of snakes, lizards, and turtles as boy. I had snapping turtles that could take off your hand and a couple of small alligators (actually caiman, from back in the day when one could buy them).

Michelle loves cats. And dogs. But she does not share my love for reptiles. However, her brother Mark, who died of leukemia when she was 14 and he was 12, was a huge reptile lover. I am glad she can tolerate them . After we moved to NC in 1995 I discovered Raleigh has a major reptile show every year. So, I began to move from captive reptiles indigenous to the south to more exotic types.

From then until now I have had: anaconda, copperhead (named Fang), burmese python, carpet python, rock python, ball python, redtailed boa, and now my prize, an albino boa. I also had a five foot monitor lizard for a while. Sadly most of these I had before facebook and have no pictures. One time I fed a snake in my office a bat caught in the library. It was pretty fun watching the last wing go down the pipe!

So now we have two snakes, the albino Maximus and Corny the corn snake in Hannah’s room. Why do I love snakes? Hard to say. But I love all of creation. I love studying animals. As a child I would sit for hours reading animal encyclopedias. I was a fauna nerd. I would sit in my back yard and watch birds for hours, comparing them to pictures in my books. I suppose I was an animal planet natural long before cable TV.

But there is a practical reason I keep a snake in my office. Well, a couple. First, pansy students who are afraid of them need to learn courage, and so I am trying to help . Okay that is not the real reason. Jesus called us to make disciples. He did NOT call us to make clones. When it comes to core doctrine, we should believe very similarly with one another. But in terms of lesser matters, and in particular external matters like clothes and such, we have freedom to exercise a lot of diversity. For too long I have observed Southern religion that expects outward conformity in every thing from clothing tastes to musical interests. We should be alike in our character, demonstrating the humility and forbearance of Christ, and in our conviction about God’s Word and His gospel.

So I keep a snake because I can. I do not expect my students to keep a snake or to like them for that matter. Liking snakes should not be a test of fellowship . Be who you are. Enjoy your life. Understand some things matter greatly, like the deity of Jesus and the atonement of Christ and other fundamental doctrines. But if you like a Harley, ride on. If you enjoy knitting, knit yourself out. And if you like snakes, fill your garage freezer with frozen rats like I do and enjoy the scaly side of God’s Creation.

And while you are at it, enjoy some of my pictures with animals I love. Many of these belong to Dan Breeding, a brother in Christ who is an exotic animal expert.