The UK-based news agency, Mirror.co.uk, ran a story about a Kansas man who found a two-headed snake. It’s not the first time such an animal’s been reported. Though rare (about 1 in 10,000) any book on oddities will include examples of two-headed creatures. But this is the first article I’ve seen in which the behavior’s been described.
The owner, 42-year-old Jason Talbot, explained that one of the heads is dominant and the other is somewhat “passive-aggressive.” The dominant head tries to strike at potential food, but the other head sabotages the hunt by holding back and refusing to cooperate. The dominant head tries to pull the body in one direction, but the other head sort of digs in its heels and only grudgingly yields. Talbot stated that the dominant head even tries to bite his fellow – perhaps out of frustration.
Photos of the snake reveal that it’s only newly hatched and hasn’t yet learned a critical life skill – how to work together. Talbot explained that the survival rate of two-headed snakes is extremely low and working together and living in harmony is rarely achieved.
You know, marriage can be a wonderfully fulfilling experience. It provides a sense of belonging, love, acceptance, approval, and intimacy. It satisfies the desire for children and establishes a safe environment for them to grow up in. But without teamwork and cooperation it can become hell on earth.
This two-headed snake reminds me of couples I’ve seen who bite each other and frustrate each other’s efforts to the point that they condemn their own survival. The dominant head of the snake was not seeking to feed himself, but their shared body. And by trying to bite the other head he was inevitably wounding himself. The two heads mistook each other for the enemy. They couldn’t grasp that they had other snakes to contend with and should not be competing with each other.
It’s also true that husband and wife frequently mistake each other for the enemy. But when they hurt each other, they end up biting themselves. They wound their mate and incite them to retaliate. Instead of empowering each other to love and be loved, they devour each other.
Fortunately, we can expect far more from a marriage than from a two-headed snake. But marriage does require constant cooperation and unified effort. And for those who are willing to invest the quality time, affection, and love – marriage pays huge dividends.
“Then the Lord God made a woman from the side he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:22-24).
PRAYER: Dear Father in heaven, please help me to stop competing and contending with those with whom I should be cooperating. Help me to strive for harmony and teamwork in all my relations. Amen.
(http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/two-headed-snake-one-aggressive-7731541)
