Today’s scripture: Proverbs 23:28-35 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):
Jimmy Buffett has been one of America’s biggest singer/songwriters, coming to national renown in his drunken-sailor persona with his hit Margaritaville in 1977. He and his Coral Reefer Band built a loyal following around the country — with the truly committed becoming known as Parrot Heads — espousing to live the Caribbean lifestyle with lots of alcohol consumption (and a few other lifestyle choices we won’t discuss here). I titled this meditation with another of his hit songs filled with references to being sick from alcohol.
There is not a doubt in my mind that there is much controversy around the topic of alcohol. Should a person abstain? Or is it OK to be a social drinker? Or as long as it is used “in moderation” is alcohol OK? In my possession are some delightful bottles of wine that I truly enjoy. While alcohol abuse has never been an issue in my personal life or with my family, I have all too often seen the devastation it has caused in the lives of others. I’m sure you have, too.
Never has it been so up close and personal as it has with the work I do every day. Eighty (80) percent of the offenders in the Indiana Department of Corrections are there for one reason: alcohol and other drugs, or the things they have done “while under the influence” of alcohol and drugs. When the medical community decided that addicts were no longer considered patients because, they said, addiction is a choice and not a disease, hundreds of thousands of teenagers and adults went to prison, taking them out of community, away from family, away from employment, and away from the best chance of receiving the personal help needed. As a result of President Reagan’s “War On Drugs” in the early 80’s, the United States of America is now the greatest incarcerator of any nation on this planet, with 2.4 million people behind bars, most of them there for one thing!
Now, thirty years later it’s all beginning to swing the other way, thanks to the technology advances in the research of the brain. There is so much more going on in a human being’s journey with alcohol and other drugs, where abuse brings consequences that make recovery seem impossible. The Department of Corrections even teaches a very controversial concept to their Substance Abuse class members, that “once you are an addict, you are ALWAYS an addict.” This thought, once ingrained in the mind of the offender returning to community, can be linked to self-sabotaging activity leading to relapse and technical violations or new crimes committed, bringing the offender once again to incarceration.
Reading these morsels of wisdom in Proverbs provide some big red flags for each one of us as we consider the risks involved with alcohol. If we believe that God is a viable presence LIVING IN us, empowering us to “Be Love” in every situation, we are all at risk for crossing the line into addiction and perhaps sabotaging our intention to live in personal integrity with our Truth. It is worth considering. It is!
Thought for the day: A man once said, “I drink vodka, so you can’t smell it on my breath.” His friend said, “Maybe you should switch to something they can smell. It’s better for them to know you’re drunk, than think you’re stupid.”
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.