A friend at the goat races |
A few weeks ago I attended the goat races sponsored by Sly
Fox Beer in Phoenixville, PA. http://www.slyfoxbeer.com/. Simon, a three-legged goat, was the winner
and was honored by having his name appended to the brewery’s 2013 Mai Bock. The prior year’s winner, Peggy, was also a
three-legged goat, making one wonder that if three legs are better than four,
perhaps two are better than three. I may
just have to come back next year to see if that theory has any merit.
While
I certainly enjoyed seeing the various varieties of goats and the racing techniques
used by their trainers, the main draw for me and the thousands that attended
was the beer. Is that OK to say? Or does enjoying a good, craft beer or three
automatically label me as a lush?
The truth is that we have a love-hate relationship with
alcohol in America. Around two-thirds of
Americans say they consume alcohol at least occasionally according to a recent
Gallup survey. However, we mostly feel
guilty doing it. Perhaps it’s the result
of how tightly religion is woven into the fabric of American society. According to a 2008 U.S. Religious
Landscape Survey conducted by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life,
close to 85% of Americans claim a religious affiliation. Some religions, like Islam, prohibit alcohol consumption
outright. America’s majority religion,
Christianity, is ambivalent about drinking alcohol.
If you take a detailed tour of the Christian Bible, you will
find much to justify arguments on both sides of the issue. But the parts that speak most strongly against
consuming alcohol principally deal with its abuse. Perhaps we can all agree that it’s not a good
idea to get stinking drunk. That’s when
bad things are most likely to happen. Certainly,
driving a car is about the stupidest thing one can do while under the influence
of alcohol. Also, people with an addiction
problem shouldn't drink regardless of what it says in the Bible. Addiction issues and other problems
associated with overindulgence are the reasons that many Christians believe drinking
alcohol should be equated with sinning, and that good Christians should be
teetotalers. It’s thinking like that, of
course, that brought us the 18th Amendment and Prohibition. Fortunately, the Prohibition experiment in
this country was short-lived.
Personally, I take my guidance from David in the Old
Testament and Jesus in the New. Psalm 104,
which is usually attributed to David, thanks God for “wine that gladdens the
heart of man.” Jesus, who was a
descendant of David, made wine from water at Cana to gladden the hearts of
those attending the wedding. If that’s
not enough to inform us that he approved of wine, Jesus tells us that according
to the religious authorities of his day:
John the Baptist came neither
eating bread nor drinking wine, and [they said], “He has a demon.” The Son of
Man came eating and drinking and [they said] “Here is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”
(Luke 7: 33-34)
That is one of my favorite quotes from Jesus, because it
provides so much insight into his character and, perhaps, his appearance. While the Pharisees, who opposed what Jesus
was teaching no doubt went too far in describing him as a glutton and a
drunkard, there are ample passages that provide evidence that Jesus liked to
eat and drink. Jesus knew that many
barriers tend to break down when you dine with people. He knew that there is virtually no better way
of reaching people and gaining their trust than to share a meal and a few
drinks with them. Consequently, if I
were a casting director making a movie about Jesus and his ministry, I would find
someone who looks like they enjoy eating and drinking. I would forego the Viggo Mortensen-types for
someone more like Jack Black. In fact,
the fellow pictured at the top of this post would be perfect for my version of
the story of Jesus.
So fellow Christians, feel free to do as Jesus did and
have a drink or two with friends and acquaintances. It will gladden your heart whether you are
watching the goat races or your favorite hockey team compete for the Stanley
Cup. And it’s the Christian thing to do,
so there’s no reason to feel guilty about it.
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