Mardi Gras and Alcohol

O.k. I am about to open a can of worms and see where it leads.

The subject of alcohol is a hot topic and is like wading into a minefield. Let me proceed cautiously.

First of all, I don't drink alcohol. The last time alcohol entered my system must have been through some cough medicine, maybe. I'll explain why in a bit.

Honestly, I just don't get it! What is so appealing about alcohol.

On my flight to Mardi Gras there was a group of women sitting behind me on the plane. They were on their way to party at Mardi Gras. They were giddy with excitement and chatted together the entire flight. They major topic of discussion and laughs was about all the alcohol they were going to consume. They were absolutely bursting with anticipation about alcohol.

Is it really all that? Maybe it is, and I just don't know. That is not what my eyes witnessed with the thousands of people intoxicated at Mardi Gras. They looked miserable to me.

Alcohol at Mardi Gras is like sand on a beach. It is everywhere, comes in every type imaginable, and can be consumed through many odd different contraptions.

At about 11:45 I saw this one guy stumbling towards me. Around his neck was a plastic looking fishbowl. Inside this rather large fishbowl was some type of pink alcoholic concoction. It had a lanyard around it so that the fishbowl hung at the the guys chest. It had a large straw that reached up to the mouth so they guy could drink from the fishbowl hands free. Human ingenuity is so amazing!

He was blitzed and drunk. He started talking to us, and I think he might have been speaking in tongues. He made no sense, his words were not just slurred, they were barely recognizable. There is no way this guy is going to remember what he did the next day. He probably got sick, killed many brain cells, was in serious danger of alcohol poisoning, and could have been easily taken advantage of. That does not sound like fun to me.

I bet he woke up with a hangover, sobered up, and then laughed with his buddies about how much fun he had, even though he couldn't remember any of it. That is either ridiculous, or I am missing something.

Why do people love alcohol so much? Why does our society worship at the alcohol altar? Seriously, alcohol is a god. It is an idol that people worship.

I'd be willing to compare my sober fun to anyone's alcohol fun. I have had more fun with Christ followers, even doing ministry, that I think far surpasses the "fun" people were having at Mardi Gras. I know that following Christ is not about having fun, but it does have moments that are incredibly fun. I don't just mean humorous, I mean that I have been hysterical with laughter and having an absolute blast. And the best part, I remember all of it.

I don't need alcohol, I have the joy of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to unwind from a tough day, I have the peace of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to liven things up, I have abundant life in Christ.
I don't need alcohol to quench my thirst, I'll just drink water.

It's just not necessary!