I am sitting in a Seattle Airport lounge awaiting my connecting flight to Victoria, BC. It is still winter and in Seattle, this means cold, rainy, and cloudy skies. I stare out the large windows and see parked Alaska Airlines planes, runways, tall trees, and distant mountains. I am grateful to be inside a warm building that offers refreshing hot drinks and food. My flight from Austin was over four hours and departed at 6:15am. Although I am an early riser, getting out of bed at 3am this morning felt uncivilized. I had few choices since my early morning flight allowed me to connect to the 3:15pm shuttle flight to Victoria, the only daily Alaska flight there during winter. I am stuck in-transit for over six hours, thus have time to ponder.
I boarded the Seattle-bound flight at 5:30am and sat next to a middle-aged gentleman. As the cold wind blew through the airplane door, we briefly acknowledged each other as I sat down. After getting my carry-on bags properly stored, I closed my eyes, said a prayer (I was on a 737 Max 9 jet!), and tried to sleep. After take-off, the flight attendant asked me if I wanted a drink, and I selected apple juice. The gentleman seated next to me said he wanted a screwdriver cocktail. Upon returning with our drinks, the flight attendant asked my seat colleague if he would like an extra bottle of vodka, which was enthusiastically received.
After finishing our boxed breakfast meals, the flight attendant asked him again if he would like another screwdriver and he positively replied. Even though my brain was not fully awake, I started reflecting on drinking three screwdrivers before 7am. Was this gentleman going to work or to drive a car? Did he get drunk last night and needed relief? Was he celebrating a major achievement? Did he have a fear of flying and need to calm down? During the last two hours of our flight together, he slept peacefully and was always courteous.
Let me start by saying that I am not a teetotaler. I enjoy a glass of wine with family and friends. Last night, I joined a family Zoom wine class where we learned about South African wines. My wife and I have toured numerous domestic and international wine regions where we tasted the various fruits of the vine. My wine saga began in London during the mid-1990s where I was introduced to European wines during family and business travels.
I rarely drank alcohol during college and my early work years. There were several reasons. First, my parents did not drink alcohol until I was in high school, and then only during festive meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I did not see many adults drinking alcohol during my youth. When I went to college, I could only legally drink 3.2% beer, a watered-down beer which caused fewer inebriations. I was too poor to afford alcohol (and most everything else). I needed to be clear minded to pass my engineering courses, and I worked during the weekends. Needless to say, I was not a party animal.
Upon graduation and entering the work force, I put my energy into my job, getting an MBA, and running marathons. Successful marathoners shun alcohol because it slows recovery, dehydrates, and disturbs sleep. Not only did I shun alcohol, I limited sweets and carbonated drinks. Now that my competitive running years are behind me and I have more time and money, I enjoy a glass of wine.
When drinking wine, I do have a few rules. First, I rarely drink any alcohol before 5pm and not before eating something. I want to be fully productive during most of the day and do not want alcohol to go quickly into my blood stream. Second, if driving after drinking, we select a designated driver. Third, I limit the total intake to a maximum of two glasses of wine. My rule is that one glass quiets the soul, and more than two glasses brings out the demons. And fourth, I don’t drink alcohol during Lent. This allows my liver to fully cleanse and proves that I have the willpower to say no.
There are some Christians that believe alcohol is sinful. I agree that it is sinful to abuse alcohol and destroy your body, relationships, and community. My mother’s parents were staunch Methodists who constantly reminded me that alcohol was a deadly sin (UMC Book of Discipline, Social Principles, ¶162L). Their beliefs came from John Wesley’s prohibition against drinking spirits during the English Industrial Revolution. However, Wesley drank beer and wine with his meals, primarily due to the water supply being unfit for consumption. Jesus drank wine and served it during his Passover meal the night before he was crucified. Even in churches that serve grape juice during communion, they know that Jesus was holding a glass of wine to represent his blood given for them. If wine consumption is a sin, then why did Jesus change water into wine during the wedding at Cana (John 2:3–11)?
There are many Biblical verses about drinking alcohol. My theological interpretation of these numerous verses is that God gave humankind the goodness of grapes to be used responsibly as stewards of God’s creation. Scripture speaks of the goodness of wine (Psalms 104:14–15; Ecclesiastes 9:7; Isaiah 62:8–9; 1 Timothy 5:23) but also of the sin of drunkenness (Proverbs 20:1, 23:30–31, 31:4–5; Romans 13:13; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:19–21; 1 Peter 4:3). Like so many wonders of God’s creation, it is a matter of balance. Too much rain causes disastrous flooding and too little rain creates parched deserts. But moderate rain produces verdant lands which brings forth beauty and sustains life. As I peer out the airport window on this cold drizzly day, I see God’s splendor. My eyes and mind are clear during this mid-morning as I cherish God’s creation that surrounds me.
