I went to the Sox game the other night and was sitting beside this really nice guy, helping him score the game. He and his buddy were drinking beers and I immediately went to a place in my head that is nice and secure: the boxing in of a person. Because of that one beer, I thought to myself: Nice guy - needs Jesus.
I am an idiot. Turns out he's an evangelical pastor, saved as a teen in a youth group in the same town that I grew up in, loves the Lord and has a passion for the lost (and the Red Sox!!). Again - I am the idiot that I never wanted to be.
But my misguided judgmentalism aside, I really think it's time for us to talk about the Christian and drinking. Because as my wife said on the way home: "I think we're in the minority now." I don't even know where to begin half the time. How do I purge all those years of being told "Christians don't drink" from my mindset? Often, the way we've been raised eventually becomes an automatic response that becomes difficult to untangle even after you get to know someone. I don't like this, but I am realistic about it.
I still think that drinking is something that the Christian should be willing to give up for the brothers and sisters that have problems with it. But I don't want to force that down their throats, because that's just going to increase the bitterness and division. What I really want is some reasoned, loving dialogue on this. I believe I'm right in my decision, one that I've blogged about in the past - but I also don't want to be the person I was at the Sox game.
Should that pastor give up drinking simply because people like me exist in the Christian world? Well, scripturally, the answer is "yes." (See Romans 14 and I Corinthians 8) If we are truly seeking peace and the welfare of the other brother, then I think that this is pretty clearly spelled out by Paul.
Should this pastor who has a problem with others drinking prayerfully rethink his response to these situations? The answer to that question is "yes" as well, and I think that this is clearly spelled out in the exact same passages of Scripture.
In other words, we both need to start putting the interests of other people ahead of our own. I would love to hear some dialogue on this issue.
5 comments:
Tom,
Interesting discussion as I find myself in the same position as you. What/Is there a dichotomy between the Christian and drinking? I would lean towards your understanding that as leaders we should be responsible not for our own actions alone but for those of our brothers and sisters. I don't think drinking is a problem personally, but..and this is the big but...I also realize that I work with youth and this is a major problem and it would be in my best and my teens best interest to not drink. This is where I find myself currently...I still can't make it black and white though...
Levi, I appreciate your honesty and your heart for others.
The thing is, I never want it to be about what feels right for me. First, always first, I want to know the truth, what the 100% right thing is in God's eyes and do that. If that is not clearly evidenced, then I want it to be about what's best for my brother. Because that's how Jesus summed up the Law and the Prophets.
It really can't be simply about my ideas and my personal satisfaction / vindication. It goes vertical first, then horizontal.
That's fair and goes along with what I said. It's not my personal convictions but the best interest of my brothers. However, in the search for 'truth,' how is the distinction made between personal and social holiness. A vertical to horizontal relationship would make personal holiness number one and our social conceptions second. This is the questions i've been discussing with dave for some time now. thanks for the insight.
oh hello fellas. great conversation and i like where it's heading. social holiness is an interesting thing. i don't even know that we can even begin to talk about it until we have dealt with personal holiness in which we are emptied and in the process of being transformed with Christ's nature.
we've all talked about this a lot. how can we encourage anyone to do or be something that we are not willing to do or become?
should this issue be talked about more openly in the body of believers? or should it be something that we simply acknowldged and move on? i think it should be an open discussion. there are many strong feelings on this one and i think it would be productive to get people communicating about it.
good stuff.
I am not sure if you are still looking at this blog, but, I like the fact that social holiness and personal holiness are finding it's way into this conversation. I have never talked about them in those terms, and hearing your interpertations is very educational, to say the least.
Anyway, from my perspective the drinking discussion is way over done by Christians, and can sometimes be more of an achilles heel in discussions with believers and non-believers. The reason being, it quickly causes division and it gets our minds distracted on the things that we do in our life, and away from our relationship with Christ. I think if we are talking with Christ and in the word, He will give us wisdom in our life. I think you guys referred to this as personal holiness. Our social holiness would then be reflected and shown to others. We all have callings in life, we all have paths we are shown. If Christ is in us then we will know the best decision to make (and that could be seeking counsel from others!). I absolutely agree, that there are situations, jobs, relationships that probably would be best without alcohol. But, across the board, I would disagree. The key to me is to not let it effect your relationship with Christ, be it that you drink or do not drink. And if it does effect, stop doing it. He should be the focus, not rules and regulations.
I am not sure if that makes sense, so, for example, if you are Pastor trying to lead an alcoholic to Christ, do you start with the drinking, or do you start with their heart? Do you start by telling them about Jesus and that their sin, and sin's to be, can be washed away? How Jesus came with the gift Love to allow us to live more abundantly? If that stuff gets through, then the drinking stuff comes through, because they see it controls their life.
Comments welcomed. Help is always needed and requested.
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