Dry

I’m going dry. There is one last can of Anchor beer in the fridge… I’m going to drink it and then not drink any more alcohol while I’m in Poipet. It’s something I have been thinking about for a while. Even though I don’t think there is much biblical support for a Universal Rule that Christians should never ever drink a drop, I do think that it’s a good rule for me at this time and place.

The Scriptures include many positive references about drinking wine. It’s associated with joy, blessings, abundance, feasting and celebration. In the Old Testament, the grape vine was a symbol of the nation of Israel; a symbol of prosperity. One biblical picture of the good life/ the godly life is this: plant and tend your own vineyard and enjoy the fruit from the vines. Jesus sets a positive example when it comes to drinking. He ate and drank at the tables of the wealthy just as freely as he associated with those on the margins. In fact, critics accused Jesus of being a glutton and a drunk. (Maybe they were just jealous coz they tried to repeat the water into wine thing and it didn’t work?!) The New Testament gives other positive reference to drinking alcohol. For example, Paul encourages Timothy to drink a little wine.

The Scriptures are also clear that drinking in order to get drunk isn’t a sign of a godly person. Paul may have encouraged Timothy to raise a glass but he was equally quick to condemn the behaviour of the believers in Corinth for allowing rich church members to get drunk at their “church fellowship dinners” while the poor went home hungry. Not cool. When Paul wrote about what qualifies someone for church leadership, one criteria is that the person must not be someone who lets their drinking get out of control.

I guess the crux of the issue is that in many cultures and sub-cultures, people don’t separate drinking from getting drunk. It is drinking, getting drunk and… that causes problems. For example: He drank, got drunk and beat his wife when he got home. He drank, got drunk and slept with someone who isn’t his wife. She drank, got drunk and had no more money to buy food for her kids. Their son drank, got drunk and smashed his moto into a tree.

But enough about he/ she/ them… what about me?! My conscience tells me that I’m free to drink moderately or not at all. Several other Christian leaders in my city believe that drinking is a bad example for those who follow Jesus and others who are seeking. Therefore, out of a humble respect for these Christian leaders, I’m happy to go without. In the context of an immature church in which people are trying to make a clean break from addictions and destructive patterns from the past, I am more than happy to be disciplined in my own life in order to set a good example.

It’s not really a big deal. I’d rather follow Jesus than follow the crowds to the next party. I am giving up one small thing that I enjoy every now and then. While joy, wine, feasting and celebration often go together, there is greater joy in simply knowing God. There’s greater joy in taking risks for the sake of love, in standing with the hurting, in hoping for justice and in worshiping a God who wants to do miracles in the lives of the poor.

This post is to welcome this new season in my life. Less beer. More joy. (…and fabulous abs for running marathons!)