Thursday; January 16

On this day in 1919 the 18th Amendment was ratified.  Now, if you have been away from U. S. History and Civics for a while, you might need to be reminded that the 18th Amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors.  During this era that would be known as Prohibition in the United States, alcohol was taboo.  There were a lot of reasons that the 18th Amendment was enacted, but history reminds us that it wasn’t a long term solution in the United States.  In 1933 the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition and led us to where we are today. 

Any religious discussion of the use of alcohol can generate a lot of intense personal feelings.  Some people are teetotalers and don’t drink at all.  Others advocate the use and enjoyment of intoxicating liquors in moderation.  While I am not going to weigh in on this argument, one reminder I want to highlight is the dangers of allowing any intoxicating substance to get the best of us.  Whether it leads us to an addiction or just to making poor judgments that can have long-term consequences, we need to make sure that our lives are not ruined by alcohol.  The wise man of the Old Testament reminded his readers, “At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper.  Your eyes will see strange things and your mind will utter perverse things.” (Proverbs 23:32-33).  There are some warning labels on dangerous products – but with this one, not only should it warn us of health hazards, it should remind us of the spiritual and emotional dangers as well. 

Just like in anything else we do, let’s be prudent in our use of intoxicants.  Remember, they are inanimate objects that have no feelings or restraints.  We must carry that load all by ourselves and monitor our own behavior. 

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke...
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements...
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app...
Read more