http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/health/drinking-alcoholism-study-trnd/index.html
Overall, alcohol use disorders rose by almost 50%, affecting a projected 8.5% of the population during the first research period, and 12.7% during the second. That’s almost 30 million Americans actively struggling with alcohol abuse.
The numbers are even more grim for certain groups. According to the research, alcohol use disorders have almost doubled (92.8%) among the African American population, and increased nearly 84% among women.
Frankly, I think these estimates are probably on the low side.
Given even the conservative numbers cited here, 1 out of 8 people struggle with alcohol, what should our response as the church be?
There are churches that advertise small groups centered around craft beers.
Do they realize what they are contributing to?
The church can never be perfect, that is true. It is made up of imperfect people.
But we can be safe. These are the easy things of the Christian faith. Give up something that means nothing to save those who are being destroyed by it.
Should Christians Drink Alcohol? covers this in greater detail.
We can be a place where people can flee from what is ailing them. We can be a different. The city on a hill metaphor involves a great contrast – light and darkness.
What choice to we make on such a simple issue?
I’ve got a little experience coming into a church community at a time when my biggest daily challenge was getting past the beer cooler without going into it. Certainly my study group looked to hold me accountable, and those early relationships and activities served as sanctuary and respite from a constant temptation.
Having said that, I’m not anti alcohol, I’m anti me drinking alcohol. Now nearly 14 years sober am way past white knuckling it through the day, but not so sure of myself that I’d pronounce myself cured.
It seems to me that there’s direct on point teaching in Paul’s letter to the Romans 14:13-23. If we truly view ourselves as servants, then we first ought to comport our individual behavior in a way that best serves others and not ourselves. Just because we are free to do something doesn’t mean we ought to do it in all places and at all times.
PW
Hey Will – I agree with you and my church community helped me immensely as well. Just seeing that there was a way to love life without alcohol was a huge viewpoint shift for me by itself. It made the idea of passing the cooler possible. We had gone to another church before that where they had ministry over wings and beer. Predictably, that did not help at all. My responsibility, certainly, but with the Lord accountability does not stop there.
And yes, Paul’s teaching in Romans seems on point to me as well. It is such a little thing to avoid for another’s sake when the stakes are so high.