We humans are by nature fearful of the unknown. If a hideous creature comes our way we run, at times, we attack. When I was in High School, I remember walking along the street when I noticed a serpent gliding beside me. Out of fright I ran away from it and stared from a distance. As a kid, I was told that snakes were dangerous and poisonous. So thinking about having a possible second encounter, I thought that I might not be as lucky next time, so I've decided to eliminate that possibility. I got a bolo and killed the snake. I killed the snake out of fear. I killed it even without it showing aggression against me or anyone.
Murdering a snake, gave me guilt, guilt because I know nothing about it, it wasn't harming me yet I killed the serpent. What if it was on its way to feed her young? What if it was lost and was looking for its mother. What if it was just taking a leisurely crawl under the sun? What if...
My kids hate bugs and they kill one when they see one. Whenever I see them about to kill one, I stop them. I teach them to respect everything God created and I always make them think about what they were about to do. I always ask why and they always answer that it is creepy and it scares them. Then I ask, "what is there to be scared about, It's tiny and you (my kids) are big. Don't you think they are scared of you? Do you want giants to suddenly step on you simply because they are scared of you? What if it just wants to play? Do you want to get stepped on while you are playing?" Typically, I don't get answers, and I do not need one. The simple act of letting the insect live or letting it out of the house (if it's inside the house) is better than any words.
Don't get me wrong, we still do kill annoying critters like mosquitoes, flies and roaches, but the rest, they have extended lives.
Thinking back, it made me think of the movie Men in Black when Will Smith is being recruited as an agent. Will's character is unlike most people. Typically, when we see a monster, we attack it, we kill it; and that's what the other recruits did. Will saw beyond the image, he was able to see beyond what the aliens were doing, he saw their intent - their purity.
I can't wait for the time when we will see things/creatures differently and be able to live harmoniously. It's just like that environment depicted in the current Nescafe commercial.
