I don't hate animals or anything - I used to have a pet snake as

Darren Bent, the striker who once carried the roar of the crowd upon his shoulders, spoke with simplicity and sincerity: “I don’t hate animals or anything – I used to have a pet snake as a child.” Though his words seem light, even casual, within them lies a seed of wisdom. For in recalling his childhood companion—a snake, feared by many and loved by few—Bent reminds us of the eternal lesson: that what others fear can still be worthy of love, and that compassion need not choose the easy or the beautiful, but may extend even to the misunderstood.

The ancients themselves often pondered the mystery of the serpent. In some cultures, it was a symbol of danger, treachery, and death, yet in others it stood for wisdom, healing, and renewal. The Greeks honored it with the rod of Asclepius, symbol of medicine. The Egyptians adorned their crowns with its form, seeing in it divine protection. To say one kept a snake as a pet is thus to stand within this great tradition: to live with the creature that carries both fear and reverence, to see in it not a monster, but a companion.

Bent’s remark also reveals the innocence of childhood. For the child has not yet learned all the fears that society teaches. Where an adult recoils from scales and fangs, a child may reach out with wonder, seeing only life, motion, and mystery. This openness is a treasure, a reminder that fear is often learned, not born within us. To keep a pet snake as a child is to live in that fearless curiosity, to honor the creature for what it is, not what the world says it must be.

History offers us stories in this same spirit. Saint Francis of Assisi, surrounded by birds, wolves, and all manner of beasts, preached not to men alone but to creation itself. He did not divide the “lovable” from the “unlovable.” He embraced all, seeing in each the reflection of the Creator’s hand. In his life, as in Bent’s memory, there is a message: that love for animals should not be selective, bound only to the soft and harmless, but should reach even to those that evoke unease.

Yet within this saying lies another layer: the defense against judgment. Bent says, “I don’t hate animals or anything.” How often do we humans feel the need to justify ourselves when others question our relationship to the natural world! His words remind us that love of animals takes many forms, and that true compassion is not measured by sentiment alone but by respect, care, and responsibility. To love the snake is no less noble than to love the lamb.

The lesson is this: let your compassion extend to all creatures, even those the world calls strange, frightening, or unworthy. Do not despise what you do not understand, nor judge others for the companions they choose. Instead, cultivate the innocence of the child who once saw the snake not as a terror, but as a pet, a presence to be cared for and cherished. For in broadening our circle of care, we broaden our humanity itself.

Therefore, carry Darren Bent’s words into your heart. Remember that love is not only for the gentle and familiar, but also for the misunderstood. Teach your children, and remind yourself, that every creature has its place in the order of life. If you would be wise, if you would be noble, then learn not only to embrace the lamb and the dove, but to see even in the snake a spark of creation’s beauty. For the measure of compassion is not how easily it is given, but how deeply it can reach.