Ni Friday, Tulenwa

I wonder what your reaction to the last post was. Was it a feeling of elation? “At last, I can not now this guilt fee?”Was it indifference? Or was it concern? You have always known dinking in and of itself wasn’t sinful and yet feel the matter is sensitive and it is better to err on the side of caution.

I will share my feelings about the post. Anxiety. I was concerned that some people would use the post as a license for abuse. I could picture a situation where after reading the post someone might rush to breakpoint (or wherever “it happens” these days) and with three shouts of hallelujah order seven tequilas. I have never drunk tequila I hope seven tequilas is excessive.

So in light of my anxieties allow me to be explicit about what the last post does not allow for.

1)      The BIBLE (and that means God) does not support under any circumstances the “Tulenwa lelo” approach to drinking. Drinking to get drunk is a sin. Why do I say this? Firstly drunkenness is a sin Galatians 5:21. Secondly, the very desire to participate in sinful behavior in sin Mathew 5:21-30.

2)      Participating in a drinking culture that promotes wildness or generally unchristian behavior is strictly forbidden. 1 Peter 4:3, Galatians 5:21. So no will drinking parties, notorious bars, “happening” joints or even some kitchen parties for you Christian.

3)      Routinely “overdoing it” is an indicator that you are not Christian. Don’t take my word for it. Galatians 5:21.

4)      Harassing Christians who are against drinking by insisting on the right to drink is strictly forbidden. You may choose an appropriate time to calmly discuss the matter, but the Bible says the unity is more valuable than your Mosi. Romans 14.

5)      If you suspect that your drinking would cause a major disturbance in the church or cause the immature to misunderstand you and indulge in drunkenness, by all means don’t drink. If you did you might be destroying what God is building and God is against that. Romans 14 (I will have to add a nuance to this in my next post)

6)      On drinking buddies. Never forget bad associations ruin useful habits. Foolishness spreads. Be wise.

7)      The Bible lets us know that to love the world (the rebellious way of life that is against God) is to hate God. If your drink begins to draw you into thought patterns, speech patterns or behaviors that are unchristian you need to repent.

Having said that there is still a case for moderate drinking, the only thing is a new Christian culture will need to be built to accommodate it. I hope to discuss this more in my next post. 

The Teetoler Mandate

I would like to use this post (my first in too many months) to talk about how the current view that abstinence is the only legitimate position towards the consumption of alcohol for the Zambian evangelical Christian is harmful to the cause of Christ. As you read this I request you not to assume that this or subsequent posts are an endorsement of the current Zambian drinking culture. This post is merely an attempt to look at how something that was started is good faith has developed into something it was never intended to be.

As you may know, in Zambia, evangelical Christians are not supposed to drink. Society in general and evangelical Christians seem agreed on this point. While no evangelical Church I know of calls the consumption of alcohol sin, it is informally known to be strictly “against the rules”.
Sermons, blogs and Christian in casual conversation regularly discourage and stigmatize the consumption of alcohol. According to this viewpoint there is no meaningful distinction between drinking and drunkenness. Therefore, while drinking is technically not sin, taking more than is sip is effectively sinful. Further, this viewpoint, I must confess to having held it, presents the decision to drink alcohol as careless at best and as guaranteed to lead to spiritual, social and sometimes physical destruction. Rhetorically, such Christians ask why on earth anyone in their right mind would want to take the risk of drinking when the stakes are so high. This stance against drinking alcohol can be so serious that a Christian caught drinking will be stigmatized as a backslider and will sometimes be subjected to Church discipline. To Zambian evangelical alcohol is in effect as spiritually unclean as pork was to the Old Testament Jew.

Even in society in general, while the consumption of alcohol is permissible, it is felt that the cleaner and in some ways morally superior option is to abstain from alcohol. The abstainer is looked at as a decent person, particularly if the abstainer is female. According, to society as you grow older, the dignified thing is to cut back on your drinking and if possible by all means put away “childish things”.
I however, have come to the conclusion that to maintain (even at an informal level) that abstinence from alcohol is the ONLY legitimate option for Christian is gravely wrong. Allow me to share my reasons.

1. Insisting on the abstinence ONLY option imposes an extra biblical requirement on Christians. NOWHERE in the Bible is exclusive abstinence required of a believer. To expect Christians to universally abstain is to add to God’s commandments, a practice that the Bible condemns. “You may not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you” Deuteronomy 4:2.

2. The ban of alcohol causes confusion in the minds of believers and non believers about the nature of sin. The current position creates the impression that alcohol is sinful in and of itself sinful. This is contrary to the teaching of Christ that clearly reveals that sin comes from the hearts of people and not from material things. (Mathew 15:11) In the case of substance abuse, whether it is alcohol or another substance, the sin lies in the person’s willful decision to use the substance in abusive patterns and not in the substance itself.

3. In effect the alcohol ban requires or at least creates the impression that in order to be a ‘real’ Christian one must add to repentance and faith in Christ a man made principle: abstinence from alcohol. This is a practice that has been soundly condemned by the Apostle Paul. (Colossians 2:20-23).

4. The ban on alcohol ban suppresses several scriptures that present alcohol consumption in a positive light. Examples of such scripture include; Psalm 104:14-15, Ecclesiastes 10:19, Deuteronomy 14:22-26 and Isaiah 25:6-9. Further, in the New Testament wine was used in the ordinance of the Lords Supper, an act of worship no less. This is to subtract this view point from the Bible is a practice that God does not approve as we have already seen in Deuteronomy 4:2.

5. The ban on alcohol tends to promote questionable handling of the Bible. Persons promoting the no alcohol policy tend to promote questionable interpretation practice. For example, (to my shame I have done this several times myself) on tactic frequently used is to argue that Biblical wine was non alcoholic grape juice or grape juice with the merest traces of alcohol. This position can be shown to be false by substituting grape juice for wine in several passages. Do any of the sound right? The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘here is a glutton and grape juice drinker!’ everyone brings out the choice grape juice first and the cheaper grape juice after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best to now!’John 2:9-10.’Drink no longer water, but use a little non-alcoholic grape juice for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities’. Here’s my favorite. ’Be not drunk with grape juice’ Ephesians 5:18. I think you get my point.

6. Many arguments for abstinence (but not all) are a bad witness to the world as they imply Christians are intellectually dishonest, at worst, or not clear thinkers, at best. Take for example, the argument that the abuse of something is an argument for abstinence. This argument is easily demolished (would anyone honestly argue against eating due to the high prevalence of obesity) and does not leave the non Christian with a high regard for the Christian mind. Another practice in this category is the equating of alcohol consumption to drunkenness. Put another way, the argument that moderate alcohol consumption is a myth. While this argument might work in Christian circles, in non Christian circles their experience alone disproves the argument. Not everyone who consumes alcohol is a hopeless drunk.

7. Lastly, this route avoids the responsibility of showing the world how to handle elements of creation including alcohol in a redemptive fashion. As Christians we are not to despise creation due to the way rebellion against God has twisted it. Take for example, sexuality is widely abused. Think of pornography, homosexuality, polygamy and fornication. All of these are horrible abuses of sexuality and sometimes make sexuality seem kind of dirty since this kind of abuse is the norm in most societies. However, as Christians we are clearly taught not to abstaining from sex rather we are to display to the world the proper use of sexuality in the context of marriage. Similarly, with regards to alcohol, Christians ought not to ban the use of alcohol outright. Rather, an allowance ought to be made for the proper use of alcohol. I hope to start discussing the proper use of alcohol in the next post.

So there we have it, seven reasons why I believe abstinence from alcohol can not be a rule in Christian circles. As I end, I want to say that this is in no way an argument that Christian MUST drink, or an argument in favour of the WAY people in Zambia drink, it is certainly not an argument that Christians should JOIN their non Christian relatives and associate in drinking, rather it is an argument against unchristian tendencies and viewpoints that have emerged in our circles. It is an argument for the Church to reform its general practice towards drinking and better align it with scripture. I hope to begin to discuss how I believe a more Biblically balanced attitude to alcohol can be developed.

The Christian and Art

When most Zambians think of art, they think of someone by the roadside writing a banner. They associate it with a poor and uncertain income, and are quick to point out to anyone who is artistic that “that is the only future in art”. As such, it has been ranked at the bottom of the ladder in terms of useful activities, skills and vocations. The downgrade on art may be costing us more than we realize.

Firstly, we seem to have a half hearted attitude to art around us. Many homes have a dusty front yard, where they would rather sweep layer by layer of soil away (i.e. erosion), than grow a lawn or a flowerbed. Someone passed a yard with a well kept garden and commented “as if a Muzungu [white guy] lives there!” It seems art is for the eccentric, the foreign or the bored. But there is something wrong with this thinking.

The very first artist is God himself, creating the context of art (time, space, matter) and then art within that context. When man is made in God’s image, He (they) is given dominion over the earth. This includes ‘creating’ order. This why we too can be creative, making roads and houses, advancing in technology and beautifying our surrounding with the raw materials God has provided. Anything that contributes positively to this order, advance and beauty, is part of our human mandate on earth. We must also be able to look at our work, measured by that standard, and say “It is good”.

To me, a rejection of art is partly because of our survival mentality.
“How are you?”
“Surviving!”

That’s how some people greet! And when we are in survival mode, we are operating on bare minimum, looking to eat and sleep and all else is a luxury. But instead of an emergency instinct, this is now a culture, where our highest goal is survival and all else is a distraction. We do not want to look at excellence, at planning ahead and setting a foundation for the next generation, we do not look at presentation of our surroundings or reflecting on our endevours.

We are infact disobeying God when we refuse to make the most of our environment, whether work, home, or recreation. We are to make order and progress, to leave it better than we found it. We are to use technology, organized and planned activity, and art to improve our environment and express our creativity. While God looks at the heart, remember, faith without works is dead! So we know a tree by its fruit.

Do we treat art, skill in visual form, beauty and order, as part of the creation mandate? Order out of “Chaos”. You are called to do that, and so am I.

And so is the artist. It is no less a calling from God. Art has value in God’s eyes – He is the first artist!

Few artists in Zambia are privilidged to make their living from art. There are the few whose paintings can go for K2,000,000.00 each, and are ordered in advance. But does this mean we all rush for the money spinners? Isn’t that why a lot of people are entering accounts and law who do not belong there – but just because they see those as money spinners? Many have not examined what moves their heart, reflects their strengths and is their personal calling.

I am not saying it is easy. But in all careers there are the money spinners and those who hear the same rumours of success we do! You will do best in the thing you enjoy most. Art is also needed for theatre, radio and television, advertising, marketing, landscaping, architecture, design and production of various kinds, etc.

With art, we are reminded that life is more about ‘surviving’, i.e. avoiding disaster. It must be filled with light and love, and savoured and shared. Otherwise, I think we are taking up too much space!