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If we’re going to take Scripture seriously, then we can’t pick and choose biblical texts. Instead we have to engage the wisdom of the entire corpus. One of the best examples of this cherry-picking happens with alcohol. As an adolescent, fundamentalism of the Holiness Movement variety had me convinced that alcohol merely passing your lips was a sin. Imagine my surprise when I read in Psalms 104 that wine “gladdens human hearts” and the instruction in 1 Timothy 5, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”1
Fundamentalist readings of the biblical text tend to presume dualism, so they struggle with the concept of moderation. However, could it be that the warnings against drunkenness are referring less to singular instances of getting buzzed and/or wasted? I’m now convinced the ancient biblical wisdom is instead cautioning about what we modern-day readers call alcoholism. It’s simply not about an absolute rule of alcohol being good or bad, but about living with health and wisdom. For some people that means a moderate “Yes” to alcohol. For others that means a hard “No.”2
Continuing that train of thought, a while back I opened up about having a drug-induced mystical experience. A number of people who I definitely wouldn’t have expected privately reached out. They shared stories about their use of CBD and THC. Some of these experiences were purely medicinal. Others were more recreational. Still others kinda blurred the line between the two. I couldn’t deny the reality of their positive experiences, though. I don’t pretend to be a cannabis expert but, at this point, Christian culture’s marijuana stigma is completely gone for me.3
Also, my emerging perspective is influenced by Bessel van der Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. I’ve never done it, but am fascinated by the possibilities of psychedelic therapy used to treat trauma. Through guided sessions with such natural psychoactive substances as psilocybin and ayahuasca, people are reporting incredible, life-changing psychological and spiritual breakthroughs.4 I’ve even read about LSD being used to effectively treat addiction, anxiety, and depression while ecstasy has potential for treating PTSD.
The original beatniks were notorious for their flagrant recreational drug use. No doubt a lot of those practices were unhealthy to the extreme. However, is it possible the Beat Generation was actually onto something? Contemporary Christian culture is, generally speaking, pretty flexible regarding the medicinal use of pharmaceuticals like SSRIs and opioids yet rigidly opposes the use of all-natural substances like THC, psilocybin, and ayahuasca. That seems rather silly. In my opinion, there’s a time and a place for both. I see no way any of this conflicts with following Jesus.
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Ecclesiastes 9 also says, “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.“↩
As is often the case, I don’t think there should be an ideal, default, or norm on this issue. Each Jesus follower need to discern the particular dynamics of our own situation and make a wise decision.↩
In 2020 archaeologists found traces of burnt cannabis and frankincense at an ancient Jewish ritual worship site, which may suggest their widespread use in Israelite religious practices. Many Christians find that possibility absolutely scandalous. Me? Meh, not so much. That jives with my reading of the ritual worship at Solomon’s temple. I’ve long suspected that mind-altering substances were part of their priestly experiences and, quite honestly, I’m open to the possibility that God uses such altered consciousness to provide glimpses into supernatural realities. My theology has no trouble accomodating that.↩
They’re having experiences that are helping them heal traumas that were previously implacable or would’ve required years and years of therapeutic treatment to achieve a similar level of healing.↩
