On "Even the Snakes"

Some of the art that tickles my brain

A print by Scott Erickson that resides in my living room, flanked by a pot my toddler claims to have painted with zero help from his mother, and a second pot with some dried flowers that, eventually, will all end up in the vacuum. With a guest appearance by my reflection.

If you know me, you know that I have Too Much Art for the living and working spaces I take up. I cannot help that, and it’s not my fault. It may be because there’s a psychological problem that stems from the fact that I used to draw a lot as a kid, and then just completely stopped when I got to university. So maybe I’m living out some sort of coping mechanism for not being creative enough myself.

The curation of my art is often spur-of-the-moment. I see a print, I fall in love, and click “buy” before I get a chance to think further about the implications—financially, in three-dimensional space, whatever. This print, of Pee-wee Herman clutching snakes in his hand, however, was premeditated.

I very deeply love the art of Scott Erickson. If you’re Christian or Christian-adjacent, you may have seen some of his more popular pieces. For my ordination last year, I was gifted two of his prints by my in-laws and my wife. My dream was for them to hang in my office, either at the church where my ghost still technically serves as an assistant curate, or at McMaster, where my ghost still technically serves as a chaplain. They’re not in either of those places yet—hopefully in the new year. We’ll see.

Two prints by Erickson: “Elements” on the left, and “The Lamb Who Was Who Is And Is To Come” on the right.

But that Pee-wee print, no, that one stays at home. That one’s just for me. Not because I’m embarrassed by it, as some of the odd reactions to a print of Pee-wee Herman holding snakes in the style of a religious icon in your living room tend to…wonder? I guess? No, it’s more of a personal message to me: even the snakes, Charles.

This represents an iconic scene in the 1985 classic Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which I watched as a child and simultaneously loved and was frightened to death of. My brother and I never missed an episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse on Saturday mornings. And before any of you smartly chime in to say something like, “Wellllll…aren’t you bothered by the fact that Paul Rubens…”—please let me interrupt you and say that that’s not what we’re talking about here. Don’t be that person.

In the film (yes, it’s a film, it’s not a movie—this is High Art for me), Pee-wee’s bicycle is stolen, and (spoiler) at the end he gets it back. He’s on this race to get it home when he comes across a pet shop that’s on fire. No, it kind of doesn’t make sense. Except that it does show Pee-wee’s character in that there are no witnesses, no one else to help, and nevertheless he takes the risk to set his bike aside momentarily to start rescuing critters.

There are several shots where Pee-wee passes by the snakes. He…does not like snakes. But at the very end, when all the other animals are safe, he simply does what has to be done. He grabs two handfuls of snakes, and he gets them out.

Even the snakes, Pee-wee.

In the original instagram post for this print, Erickson describes this scene’s perfect encapsulation of “the reluctance to carry that which is unpleasant for us.” And hoo boy, did that really resonate with me then (March 2023). And hoo boy, does that continue to resonate with me now.

He goes on:

That which is unpleasant, mysterious, even off putting to you is really just something you haven’t built a relationship with, and it’s worth taking the time to carry it. This is what it’s like to go through a transformation. It’s worth saving even the snakes.⁣

If this isn’t the heart of the gospel, I have no idea what is. And this is why I keep this print in my living room (partly thanks to a loving and understanding wife…). Because I am an arrogant, selfish person. And my tendency is to do things and build relationships that are easy. And that is not who I am called to be.