Dr. Sean Tobin Subscribe

January 14, 2026 Paid subscribers

Stop Chasing the Snake

On Healing, Justice, and the Wounds Only God Can Restore

A monk once said:

“Imagine being bitten by a snake, and instead of focusing on healing from the poison, you chase the snake to understand why it bit you and to prove that you didn’t deserve it.”

Most of us don’t need that story explained. We recognize it immediately.

We’ve all been bitten in one way or another—by betrayal, abandonment, misunderstanding, misuse of power, or love that failed us. And instinctively, we turn outward. We replay conversations. We revisit memories. We analyze motives. We imagine finally saying the right thing that makes it fair.

We go after the snake.

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