If you recall, we briefly mentioned recovery during our introduction on the homepage.  Here we deal with the genuine world of addiction.  From where does addiction come?  Spiritually, one might say most if not all come from man’s lust and adventurous nature.  But, what about that person who was in such severe pain he/she just had to take a medication prescribed by his/her trusted physician? 

So, once addicted, does it matter what got the person there?  It should not.  What matters is:  how the person deals with such a strong seduction.

While stationed in Germany, there was a brother in our church whom I did not like.  I reasoned the best way to deal with it was to invite him and his family to the house for dinner.  

While standing in the kitchen, he told me that some folks didn’t like him because he came off like he knew everything.  To which I replied:  “no kidding.  That is why I invited you over to see if I could get past that.”

During the conversation, addiction came up: the abuse of alcohol specifically.  I had grown up around alcohol abuse all of my life.  My mother made moonshine in Arkansas and I was getting drunk before I started school.  That might shed some light–not moonshine–on my being such a dummy.

Every adult I knew was a drunk.  So, when I mentioned that alcoholism was an illness, a disease, he stated he didn’t believe that.  He felt such an attitude was just an excuse.  So, what is one to do about ignorance when one runs into it?  I suppose one has a choice:  take it head-on or ignore it.  I chose the latter albeit more subtle than I might have.

So, I said to him:  “Let me ask you a question?”  The disease aids was just emerging and running rampant at that time.

“What about aids?  Is that a disease?”  I asked him.

“Sure it is:” he replied.  

“Well, what if it was acquired while engaged in a sinful act?”  I asked him.

“Well, yes it is still a disease the doctors have to treat you for:” he replied.

“Then what is the difference?  For many, alcoholism and other addictions have to be treated. Unlike other addictions, alcoholism–same as aids–the treatment can be leathal.  The disease of addiction may have been aquired through sinful acts:  but the disease its self is not sin.  Until “church folks” learn the difference, they will continue to be much less adept at helping the aflected. Read more about addiction and recovery in upcoming blog posts.