Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
—Matthew 10:16
The serpent is the logo of the evil spirit; the dove the logo of the Holy Spirit. As strange as it seems, there is something in each that we are to copy.
The ancients considered the serpent the wisest critter around. There may be something to that since Genesis says it was the most crafty, cunning animal God made. The old serpent outthought and outmaneuvered Eve, that’s for sure.
There is no virtue in ignorance. But knowledge isn’t without its dangers. Some with a cranium crammed with knowledge become arrogant rather than humble, harsh rather than gentle, obnoxious rather than pleasant.
The dove is harmless, a representative of gentleness and peace.
The call is for balance: knowledge governed by a gentle disposition.
It isn’t your position but your
disposition that best defines you.