Let’s get right to the point: today’s Christianity — mess that it is sometimes — has large pockets of people who proudly proclaim the perils of alcohol and smoking and other popular vices, all while slurping a super-sized soda or chowing down a battered-and-deep-fried leg of some fattened-up farm animal. What gives? Why are we so selective about what we’ll condemn or allow?
Just the facts, Ma’am
After all, the data speak for themselves — according to the CDC, heart disease and cancer and diabetes are what’re killing Americans faster than ever1, and the overwhelming causes of those aren’t a glass of scotch one a month or even smoking a tobacco pipe once in a while. It’s typically obesity2. But for whatever reason, I don’t hear sugar and carbs harped on as much from the pulpit as I do “the devil’s brew” or “the devil’s plant” or “the devil’s weed” (he’s branched out into quite a few franchises, you know). I don’t hear exercise and good health suggested in church nearly as much as I hear the consternation-laden whispers directed at that dude who posted a picture of the birth of his son with a cigar in his mouth. I’ve noticed that our vehement and vociferous campaign for “good stewardship” among Christians typically means chewing people out for playing the lottery instead of giving more money to the church rather than saving for your (and your family’s future).
Funny, that.
I would like, however, to submit to you that there’s an overarching principle that, if properly understood, would probably really help us with regards to setting boundaries around not just a few pet sins, but fencing a standard of moderation around everything we consume or enjoy. This principle would help us not only clutch our pearls at someone drinking a few too many beers at a ball game, but also at the 475-pound pastor preaching against it, too. Here it is: Just about every sin we can commit is, at its core, a distortion or excessive manifestation of something that was intended to be good or useful.
Ruminate on that for a sec
Think about it — what is gluttony? The abuse of something good when consumed responsibly, which is food. What is sexual immorality? The abuse of something good when under control, which is our sex drive. What is drunkenness? The abuse of something good in moderation, which is alcohol. What is laziness and a sedentary lifestyle? The abuse of rest, which is good when enjoyed appropriately.
Let’s go deeper. What causes diabetes? The abuse of sugar, which serves a good purpose when ingested rightly and responsibly (Proverbs 25:16 comes to mind here). What is theft, greed and a “love of money?” An abuse of rightly earning and being generous with our finances, which are meant to be used for good. What is vigilantism or a hot temper? Often this is an abuse of justice, which is good in and of itself, but is morphed into something violent and selfish when we take it into our own vengeful hands. What is cowardice? A skewed distortion of a good instinct of self-preservation. I could go on, and I’m sure you and I could add plenty of examples to the list.
Getting this right would help us see that it’s not just those roguish blackguards and their gamblin’ and rabblerousin’ who need correction, but it’s also you at the State Fair enjoying your fourth fried dough who needs some help, too. It’s not just those fornicators out there living it up with their sexting or flexing or whatever those darn kids do these days — it’s the vile condescending spirit in your heart, too. It’s not just that guy who got lung cancer because he smoked — it’s the guy who had a heart attack at 48 years old because he treated his body like a garbage disposal. It’s not just those terrible video games and their ability to suck away time while providing vapid entertainment — it’s you playing your 4th round of golf this week or yelling at the ref through the TV screen. What I’m saying is that it’s not just the stuff you personally dislike or have been taught is particularly wicked — all excess is harmful. Let’s commit to moderation.
Moderation, eh? Sounds extreme.
I think we would be better off and less harsh on each other if we recognized that all these things, which we call sin (which is simply an old word for “missing the mark” of God’s design for his good world), are usually just gross exaggerations of something that was designed as good or given to us as good. Distortions, perversions, whatever you want to call it — it all comes down to abusing good things. This is what leads us to pursue excess when we should be moderate. As the saying goes: A fire is good as long as it’s in the fireplace. When it breaks out of those good boundaries, that’s when it gets ugly and harmful. Or as one Biblical author put it, “do all things in moderation” and “let your moderation be known to all men.” Christians should be known for their moderation, plain and simple.
And for what it’s worth, cracking open the Bible and reading everything it says about a topic might help us see that we’ve believed some really disjointed and imbalanced things all because certain passages of Scripture were cherry-picked and misused to try to vilify things that are, when done in moderation, quite good. So enjoy your video games. Or your golf. Enjoy your corn dog. Or your Mai Tai. But whatever you do, do all things in moderation. That’s what keeps the fire in the fireplace.
1https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
2https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
