In part 1 of this discussion, I gave my conclusion that I find nothing contradictory in a Christian who consumes alcohol. More importantly, I explained the manner in which I reached those conclusions so that anyone who was interested could do their own research and form an informed opinion.
Now we get to the two questions which logically follow. Please note that if you have reached an opinion that Christian's should not drink, these questions and their answers are moot and you might as well stop reading. The two primary remaining questions are when one may or should drink and why. One quick definitional note; for this blog "drink" and “wine” refer to drinking an alcoholic beverage unless otherwise noted. Also, I usually reference only the title and chapter when giving biblical references. This is to encourage a reading of the entire context and also acts as a check to ensure I am not using a misleading reference.
I'll actually start with some specific examples of when we are directed to NOT drink. As noted in the first part, in Leviticus 10 the priests are ordered not to drink when attending affairs in the tent of meeting. In Number 6, rules for Nazarites included a prohibition against drinking for a period of time (which would be subsequently released after a presentation ceremony to the priest). This is picked up, of course, in Judges 13 as Samson was a Nazarite. Interestingly, the same proscription was given to Samson's mother. In Proverbs 31 there is a strong recommendation to kings and rulers to abstain (a recommendation which includes a tone of pity for them). The most obvious New Testament example of directed abstention is that of John the Baptist.
In balance, there are also a number of times when the recommendation was to drink. For example, in Deuteronomy 14 the Israelites are specifically directed to drink their wine with their other tithes. In 2 Samuel 16, wine is provided for David's men with the encouragement to drink for refreshment. Psalm 104 celebrates God's provisions including wine to make men glad. Proverbs 31 probably is the most proscriptive. It advocates strong drink for the perishing and wine for those who are depressed. In similar vein, Ecclesiastes 9 advocates drinking with a cheerful heart to celebrate the reality of life. Finally, in 1 Timothy 5, Timothy is encouraged to include wine in his diet for better health.
There are clearly times when drinking is appropriate. So the question that really needs to be answered is why Christians should drink. In my experience, in neither print, sermon, nor common talk, has this question been asked. I think in this absence is a real failure to develop a complete theology of food and drink. We ask the why question about all sorts of other directed activities from tithing to praying to modesty, but never about why we should drink. In the answer is found not only a purpose for drinking but also some important insights into human psychology and relationship.
Once again, I am going to step back before proceeding forward. We've seen times when drinking is prohibited. For these we need to ask the why question too (or in this case, why not). The prohibitions all seem to fall into two categories. The first is leadership. Those in leadership have additional responsibilities that come at the cost of intellectual diligence. Because they are responsible for much more than their own lives and families, they seem to have a higher calling for complete engagement. The second category is for those chosen by God or committed to God for a very particular calling. Assuming you are not set aside by kingship, God directive, or alcohol-celibate choice, continue reading.
For those biblical directives encouraging drinking, there seem again to be two general categories. The first is worship and celebration. God has given us blessings of all sorts. Recognize those blessings and give praise to him by actually using (in this case consuming) those blessings.
The second category is a collection of recommendations that drinking is beneficial for your physical and mental health. It is this second category which provides the doorway to what I find the most interesting components of why Christians should drink.
The word “person”, in current vernacular, suggests the core or essence of the individual. This is seen clearly in statements like, "I am my own person", or in the legal concept of “person” which would include all the uniquely individual things like the right to vote, the opportunity to exercise choice, the ability to be held liable for damages to another, etc... One dictionary actual uses the definition, "The personality of a human being".
Our word “person” comes from the Latin word “persona”. Persona was the name given to the mask worn by an actor. It was the thing he became and it was the thing people actually saw rather than the human actor behind the mask. “Persona”, in turn, was the conjunction of the words "per sonare" which have the literal meaning of "sound through". The mask of the actor not only represented the fictional character of the play and disguised the actor, but it also had a megaphone quality which allowed the actor to speak through it as the character but even louder than in real life.
These ideas and images help to understand the psychology of our use of these terms. As mentioned, “person” means the actual human being in reality. As was originally implied, “persona” for us means a covering or a projection of character that we wish people to see instead of the real person. We all have our persona (or personas) through which we carefully control what other see and think about us.
This is not good. While there are times we need to take on roles we do not want or feel qualified for, God did not create the persona but the person. It is that person who is to be celebrated. And it is the person that God wants to use for his purposes. All our personas merely get in the way of true knowledge, true relationship, and effective obedience to his will. It probably goes without saying, but the longer we wear our persona masks, the harder we find stripping them off and revealing the real person.
However, there are tools that can be used to help in the process of becoming real. God himself is very capable. Good friends, accountability, and a willingness to get banged around can be beneficial. Many therapists and psychologists specialize in just such growth. And wine can play a role too.
Wine (alcohol) is a depressant. As such, is depresses the normal responses and behaviors. This is easily seen in delayed reaction times and lack of balance in seriously inebriated folk. What is less discussed is that the depressive action also works on the careful constructs of our personas. Since personas are, in essence, a house of cards, they have intrinsic weaknesses. Please understand that I am not saying the persona is weak; frequently the persona has more strength that the person behind. But personas require an immense amount of fine lattice-work to hold them in place and a vigilant tending to keep them from cracking.
The depressive value in alcohol comes into play by depressing the ability to maintain the charade that is the persona. When our neurological activity is depressed, we simply cannot maintain the intense balancing act required for a persona and, instead, the person starts being revealed.
Anyone who has gone to a dinner party with other guests not well known, where wine is served will have noticed this. At the beginning, people are awkward and stiff (or potentially too friendly and outgoing). After a glass of wine or two, conversation starts flowing more richly, humor and a sense of companionship tend to increase, people argue passionately of things about which they would normally show reserve, etc...
Now, obviously, that depressive benefit can go to far and even parts of the person such as kindness and empathy can be depressed and even more base dynamics revealed. I will get to when some is too much in a minute.
The point is, wine can help us to be more real and can help us be comfortable in showing the real person, warts and all. I think it important for people to stop at those times and look at themselves. Learn what the real you is and does and says and acts. As you build a database of what the real “you” is, you can try to emulate that “you” sans alcohol. It probably took a long time to build the persona. It will likely take a while to tear it down. Personas are safe. Reality, not so much.
Again, there is a biblical basis for what I am suggesting. In Ecclesiastes 2:3, Solomon writes that he is going to try an experiment. It is one of those verses which no one quite seems to know how to translate (run a quick search on it in a parallel bible format). My best understanding of that verse, in its context, is that he decided to use wine to see how his perspective changed and what he would find out about himself. And while his ultimate conclusion is to worship and obey God, he also recognizes the value and joy of focusing on eating, drinking (including wine), and working as ways to celebrate our here-and-now despite our problems.
My ideas are also supported in the verses commending drinking for health's sake in that the depressive benefits help release our desire to worry and control, both of which are projection actions rather than actions recognizing the reality of our person.
Now to the most fundamental issue. Life is about relationship. The dominant relationship is that of each individual to God. The next is our relationships with each other. Given that God created us just as he wanted us to be, the more true to that creation we can be will be the most blessed to those who God placed in our life. The more we place constructs and personas in the path of relationship the more we remove the ability to bless and be blessed.
The correct amount to drink then is this; if your relationships are deeper, more real, more meaningful, and more loving, you are on the right track. Please note that I am not suggesting that under the persona is some totally sweet, unbelievably loving person, with no problems. This is still a fallen world. I clearly wrote "more", not "completely" in this paragraph's first sentence. Conversely, if your relationships get stupider, more one dimensional, more harmful, and more inappropriately self-centered, you've over indulged.
The final thing I want to note is that there are a number of instances when being filled with the holy spirit and having drunken wine are contrasted with each other. I find a note of something like this in Psalm 4 when David says that that joy of the Lord is better than the joy of drinking wine. It is even more focused when the Apostles are accused of having been drinking and instead it is the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the direct analogy is used in Ephesians 5 when the directive is given to be drunk on the Holy Spirit instead of wine. If there is not a similarity of the releasing effect of alcohol and the reality of being in your person in alignment with God, what sense do these verses make?
I am not trying to convince. I am comfortable with my understanding of these issues at this time and I reserve the right to change my mind later. My goal has been to explain how I arrived at my position and, hopefully, to add to your own discussion so that on this issue you can be fully, intelligently, engaged. As they say, your mileage may vary.
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