When Help Looks Like Harm

I have a confession to make.

I killed a snake.

Now, depending on who you are, that might make you cheer or cringe. Some of you, especially those with a deep fear of snakes, might feel a rush of relief that it wasn’t you who had to do it, but are glad it was done. Others, who understand that not all snakes are harmful, might be dismayed. Why resort to killing?

But before you judge me, let me give you the full story.

It happened in early spring, a few months after my wife and I moved into our house. We had family visiting from abroad and were standing in the front yard when suddenly—we saw it. A massive black snake, coiled in a corner along the foundation of the house. Right behind that wall was the guest room where my family was staying.

They were horrified.

The heat, the panic, the unfamiliar surroundings—it all collided in a moment of instinct. Coming from Africa, my family is used to associating snakes with danger. In fact, my grandmother narrowly survived a black mamba bite, one that can kill in under 15 hours.[1] This snake in front of us was dark in color and looked like the snake that almost took their mother’s life.

We made a snap decision: the snake had to go. I grabbed the nearest large stick, struck it in the neck, and killed it.

My grandmother narrowly survived a black mamba bite, one that can kill in under 15 hours.

Reality Bites

But then I found out the truth.

It wasn’t a threat at all. It was a rat snake—a harmless, nonvenomous species known for killing venomous snakes such as copperheads. They also eat rodents, like rats (of which I am deathly afraid), and help keep ecosystems in balance. Rat snakes are, quite literally, the kind of snake you want around. In fact, the vast majority of snakes worldwide are nonvenomous and pose no threat to humans.[2]

In trying to protect my family, I had destroyed our protection. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

It felt like a parable. An object lesson tailor-made for my life and my walk with God.

As Adventists, we are rightly cautious about calling evil good. We guard against compromised living and diluting Bible truths. We must keep on doing this (Isa. 5:20). But in our zeal to avoid calling evil good, have we forgotten the other half of Isaiah’s warning?

“Woe to those who call . . . good evil” (Isa. 5:20).

Sometimes our fears and anxieties betray us. We label as dangerous that which Christ approves. Like the disciples who saw someone casting out demons in His name and tried to stop him because he wasn’t following Jesus in the way they imagined. Only for Jesus to tell them, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:50, NIV). We reject what is unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or disruptive, not realizing that God is at work through these means.

God’s blessings don’t always come in neat packaging. It may be a sermon from a preacher that’s not your style. It may be a lesson from someone who holds different political or theological views than you do. It may be a blessing hidden in the middle of a trial. It may be a difficult conversation that forces you to face your fears. It may be a closed door that redirects your path. It may be a devastating loss that ultimately works out for your good.

What would happen if the good news of the gospel was viewed as a threat? What if, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we refused to look at the bronze serpent—the very thing that could save us—because it seemed foolish, offensive, or dangerous?

Sometimes God sends a harmless rat snake to remind us that not every threat is what it seems.

[1] “17 Facts About the Black Mamba,” Kruger Park Times, n.d., retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-17-facts-about-the-black-mamba.html.

[2] “Snakes: How Dangerous Are They?” National Geographic, June 10, 2025, retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/snakes-1.