Any News About Alcohol?

MON., OCT. 16, 1995, 9:56 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

Early this morning you were at a meeting on “substance abuse”, the University committee that gathers periodically, mostly for symbolic and communication reasons. Yesterday you mixed ingredients in the old crock in your study, invoked My participation in the process, and started what should be a good, low-alcohol brew. We put together quite a fine Ruminations on beverage alcohol early in Our relationship. What do I have as “news” about this part of My earth that is both enjoyed and castigated?

A few brews were enjoyed on Saturday at the Booster tent, a nice prelude to an exciting game, won by the Salukis on an ideal Saturday afternoon. Undoubtedly there was some misuse and abuse both that afternoon and that evening… though nothing of this sort came to your attention. You realize that some students do drink excessively and too often, but you remember similar excess in your own college days, now nearly 50 years ago. And you remember from Dr. Cowley’s observations on higher education early in the history of this country that excess was evident then, as well as now.

One of My memorable Teachings to you, again, early in Our experience, concerned the story that Gospel writer John identified as My first miracle, as Jesus, the Christ. It was about a marriage at Cana, but it focused not on the marriage (the account doesn’t even tell who the bride and groom were), but on wine, the drink of celebration of the occasion. The miracle was that I “changed” great jars of water into wine, and was excessive in such a transformation. Later in My ministry, on the night before I was to be crucified, I used wine, with bread, to represent My blood and My flesh in that most accepted sacrament, Holy Communion or the Holy Eucharist.

I was not a crusader against alcohol use, even as some of My devout servants have been, over the years, zealously in My Name. I tell you that I see alcoholic drinks and beverages as potential blessings, even as I see how some misuse and abuse them. You see, I like diversity, and so I cause and allow humans who will hate and never consume any alcohol, humans who will drink responsibly and enjoyably, humans who drink to excess for some time and then come to sobriety with joy and productiveness, and humans whose drinking causes harm to them and to others and whose lives are shortened in very sad ways. Why do I allow such diversity?

First, I’ll say you have very little idea of what I don’t cause or allow. Alcohol has very little danger when compared with threats that I do not create or allow to be created. I want this earth to be supportive of human life and health, but because it is finite and so are humans… and the whole pattern of life that is My Creation… there have to be some dangers and some means to balance births. So if anyone thinks alcohol is evil they should consider what some alternative dangers are and what I could allow that would be more destructive.

Next comes one of My major revelations to you: the purpose of life in the spirit, and hence of that special form called life as a human, is to grow and develop in that spirit, back toward Me. I just happen to know that alcohol is a challenge, and from its use, and even its abuse, can come this growth I desire. I like your analogy to marriage (and consider that I may have suggested this to you, as is the case with many of “your” ideas). From a good marriage can come happiness, spiritual growth, and a fuller earth life. Yet some marriages bring terrible travail, harm, and even premature death. It can be a blessing, and a curse… sometimes both at once or at different times.