Be as shrewd as snakes
and as innocent as doves.
—Matthew 10:16
The serpent is the logo of the evil spirit; the dove is the logo of the Holy Spirit.
Strange as it seems, each has something that we’re to copy.
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’s no virtue in ignorance.
But knowledge has its dangers. Some with a cranium crammed with knowledge are 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.
Knowledge regulated by humility is a winning blending.