Story of the monk and the snake This is a story of an encounter a monk has while traveling to a neighboring village. Shortly after setting out on his journey the monk travels near a village where he is asked by villagers for help. Our village is constantly attacked by a snake that bites everyone he sees: men, women, children, and livestock! Won’t you help? Take me to this snake, said the monk. The boy took the monk to a pond where the snake typically visited. Sure enough, the snake was there. Snake, why do you bite the villagers. Do you not know that you can live without biting others? The snake answered, “I have never considered any other way of living.” But, you are respectable, monk. I will try your way. The monk said he would continue on his journey and visit the snake on his return trip. After a few days, the monk made his way back to the village and visited the snake. Snake was covered in scratches and bruises. “Snake, what happened to you?” asked the monk. Soon after we spoke I decided to no longer bite people. Not long after this the children started to throw sticks and rocks at me. The women would step on me, and the men shot arrows at me. Taking pity on the snake, “Oh snake,” said the monk, “I asked you not to bite. I never said you couldn’t HISS.” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrnEZBRO_s It is okay to be assertive about not being abused or mistreated. Respect others. Respect yourself. “Nice” is Not a virtue. -JBP “Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike me?” John 18:23 Here, Jesus does NOT turn the other cheek, something often taken out of context.
