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REFLECTION
Advice from John Wesley is the theme for our reflection. A piece of advice is a guidance or recommendations offered concerning prudent future action. John Wesley (1703-1791) was an Anglican Priest who later founded the Methodist Church. The theme “advice from John Wesley means John Wesley’s guidance on a particular subject matter. What then is this subject matter? We shall focus on John Wesley’s advice on drunkenness.

Beloved in the Lord, Paul and John Wesley share a common position on a Christian’s attitude towards drunkenness. Paul strongly admonished the Christians in Ephesus, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18). John Wesley also taught and campaigned against drinking hard liquor and profiting from the sales of spirits. In the eighteenth century, there was an explosive growth of the urban poor, and for the first time, cheap mass-produced spirit became available. Public health suffered, immorality increased and children were neglected as gin was used to seek a temporary escape from the miseries of everyday life. This provided the social context for Wesley’s stance. And in his sermon, “The Use of Money”, Wesley gave two reasons to abstain from profiting from alcohol:

• “We may not gain by hurting our neighbour in his body. Therefore we may not sell anything which tends to impair health. Such is, eminently, all that liquid fire, commonly called drams, or spirituous liquors”. (Examples are gin, akpeteshie and all other hard liquors one can think of)
• “We may not gain by hurting our neighbour in his soul, by ministering, either directly or indirectly, to his chastity or intemperance … it concerns all those who have anything to do with taverns.” (In other words, a Christian must not serve gin or hard liquor at his or her guest house, inn or hotel)(Reference:https://www.epworthinvestment.co.uk/investment-approach/ethical-policy-guidance/position-paper/alcohol-issues/#:~:text=Although%20John%

Beloved in the Lord, John Wesley’s advice on drunkenness is that we should avoid drinking hard liquor such as gin or spirit which leads to drunkenness. Again, believers who are into the manufacturing of beverages or retailing of drinks must not sell alcoholic drinks that will lead to the destruction of their neighbours. In addition, a Christian who operates an inn, guest house or hotel should not serve his or her guest with hard liquor. It is for this reason alcoholic drinks are not served in the Methodist Church during the Eucharist or Holy Communion. John Wesley’s teaching has influenced the Methodist Church to adopt a zero tolerance for alcohol.

It is important to note that drinking a non-hard liquor alcoholic beverage such as beer or wine is not a sin but getting drunk or abusing any kind of alcoholic beverage is a sin. We are to drink alcoholic beverages in moderation but to avoid the temptation of drunkenness, we must abstain from drinks or beverages with a high percentage of alcohol. Paul cautions us to “Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17). We must understand and do the will of God in all things including alcohol consumption.

Drunkenness is one of the sins that renders us unprepared before the advent of the Lord, it is for this reason that Peter admonished us, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. (1 Peter 4:7) Let us remember that until Jesus returns the second time, we remain in the Advent season. Christmas celebration is only the commemorating the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a time for believers to indulge in gluttony and drunkenness. As with all other days, Christmas is also a time to “… be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20) Unfortunately, some Christians are totally ignorant or oblivious of the season of Advent and the day of Christmas. We go on a shopping spree during the Advent season, buy all manner of alocholic drinks, to consume and get drunk as part of our celebration of Christmas. Instead of celebrating the love and grace of God at work in our lives and our salvation in Jesus Christ with thankgiving, we rather celebrate our sinfulness and disobedience, making nonsense of God’s incarnation and gift salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ to the world. To consume alcohol in moderation or totally abstain from it to avoid the temptation of drunkenness, Paul admonished us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

In summary, we have deliberated on the theme “Advice from John Wesley” John Wesley advises us to abstain from drunkenness, and stop selling and serving hard alcoholic liquor because it will destroy us and our neighbours. Remember, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”( James 4:17) Shalom.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit fill our hearts and minds to overcome the temptation of drunkenness. Strengthen us to remain sober and be physically, morally and spiritually prepared even as we await the second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen