I have a dream . . .  Oh, wait . . . That was someone else’s speech. 

I did have a dream the other night that made me think.  Oh, I should probably start with the statement that I hate snakes!  That is probably why this particular dream was so memorable and made me think and take notice.

They say that what and when you eat may have an effect on the dreams you have when you sleep.  I don’t know if that is true, but I had just had an incredible Greek food experience that evening.  (For more about that, see The Acropolis post.)  Probably more significant than what I ate is the fact that I was at a National Student Conference where Randy Garris spoke God’s Word and challenged us to simplify, to live “truly human” in wholeness as God created us, and to stand in an intersection in life shepherding people that have needs. 

Anyhow, I had this dream that made me think about the things I try to hold on to.  It also made me think about things that I tolerate, and shouldn’t, simply because to get rid of them would disrupt some of the things I enjoy.  In my dream, I was in a lovely park and found a small concrete bench where I could sit and enjoy the view and the beautiful flowers blooming all around me.  As I sat, there eventually came a slight noise from under the bench.  It was kind of like the air slowly leaking out of a tire.  I was a little curious as to what this noise could be, so I looked under the bench where there was a marvelous planting of tulips.  They were perfect!  They were so incredible that I could not help but get down to take some pictures and admire them even more closely.

That is when I saw it.  Out from between two of the most beautiful blooms there were, came a small head of a viper.  (Now, I don’t know anything about snakes to know one from another –did I mention I hate snakes– but in my dream I knew this was a viper.)  Now in real life, I run!  But in dreams, we sometimes do things differently.  In this dream, I miraculously sat there having a debate with myself.  I loved the flowers.  They were beautiful.  They looked perfect.  I wanted some good close-up pictures.  I didn’t like the snake.  I knew it was bad.  I didn’t want anything to do with it.  Yet, I kept telling myself, “It’s only one – and a small one at that.”  “I’m sure if I don’t bother it, it will leave me alone as well.”  “Maybe if I could just gently move the flowers a little bit away from the viper I could still enjoy them and get some great pictures – pictures without the snake in them!”  Fear kept me from reaching in.  Maybe if I just ignored it and walked around to the back side of the bench, the tulips would be just as beautiful and the snake would not be visible.  It was worth a try.

As I stepped around the end of the bench, I could hear the sound in my dream change.  That slow tire leak was becoming more persistent and increasingly louder.  The sound of many tire leaks, of a mighty rushing wind, filled my ears as I looked under this side of the bench and discovered the viper up front was probably just a baby that had slithered off from the overwhelming brood of them that had taken up residence under the back side of the little concrete bench!  Did I mention I hate snakes?  That was enough for me.  I woke up with this vivid picture in my mind.  A picture I would have liked to have never seen.  A picture that made me think, “That was wierd!” 

Unlike most of my dreams, this one didn’t disappear when I awoke.  It stayed with me, not in a frightening way but in a thoughtful way.  It made me think about how often in life do I have a similiar reaction when I see or experience something that attracts me.  Something that is good and pleasing.  Something that has just a small piece of bad or evil in it – you know, that TV show, that movie, that situation, that relationship that isn’t “that bad”.  I don’t know how often I have heard someone recommend a movie to me with the disclaimer, “You’ll have to overlook some of the language, but other than that it’s a good movie.”  Or, “There are a few scenes that are inappropriate, but overall it has a great story-line.” 

I think about my dream and the thought I had in it.  “It’s just a small viper, you do want to enjoy the tulips, don’t you?”  How often are the small “vipers” that show up in your life and mine just the tip of the real “brood of evil” that is lurking in the background just waiting for us to ignore the threat of even a “hint” of sin?

I pray that no matter how Satan may try to package evil and disguise it in ways that we think are manageable, we would see through the deceipt and tricks and realize that it all has to go!