Alcohol use has become so commonplace in society, it’s often the person abstaining rather than the one overindulging who gets sideways glances and faces questions from perplexed peers. There’s no doubt alcoholism has become an epidemic, with new data revealing alcohol-induced liver disease soared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So how should Christians engage with alcohol?
Robby Gallaty, an author and senior pastor of Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, recently addressed from the pulpit whether it’s wise for believers to consume alcohol.
An alcoholic himself celebrating 20 years of sobriety, Gallaty employed statistics, expert analysis, and Scripture to make his case, putting to rest the suggestion there is any difference between being drunk and “buzzed.”
“You can’t be full of the Spirit and buzzed at the same time,” the pastor declared, later pointing to two police officers in the congregation whom he said would vouch for his assertion there is no real distinction between a person who is drunk and one who’s “buzzed,” because neither person is sober.
