Running, Beer, and Fellowship

Today I ran in the Savannah River Bridge Run. It was my first race in several years and I'm pleased with how I did (finished the 5K in 26-27 minutes and didn't collapse). My employer (JCB) was kind enough to pay the registration fee and provide T-shirts (see photo above). About ten of us from JCB ran in the race. Some posed for the above photo. That's me on the far right looking like a giant; everyone else is actually short.

As a bonus, several of the runners wore silly costumes. I saw Elvis Presley before the race. Near the end of the race I ran past a guy dressed as an elf; shortly after this a Gene Simmons impersonator ran past me. He was dressed in full KISS gear and was even carrying an American flag.

After the race our JCB team hung out for a while in the finishing area. There was music, food, soda, and beer. Everyone else in the group grabbed a beer. So did I. Not only did I grab it, I also drank the whole thing. My purpose in this was not for the taste (it was actually a sort of gross light beer). Rather, I wanted to spend time with some co-workers and do what they were doing. If I hadn't had a beer things would have been awkward. By having a drink with them, we were all able to just stand around and fellowship for a while. I hardly knew any of them prior to the race. It was a great opportunity to start some relationships.

Just a few years ago I probably would not have had a beer. I would have viewed my not drinking as some sort of righteous stand for Christ. What a bunch of poppycock. Part of the reason some non-Christians are turned off to Christianity is because some Christians just act so weird. Let me make this clear: there is nothing wrong with Christians drinking alcohol. The sin comes when drunkenness begins.

As followers of Jesus, we need to do whatever it takes to build relationships. It is often through these relationships that people are willing to hear about Jesus Christ in a meaningful way for the first time. I'm not suggesting that relationships are a means to an end; they are an end in themselves. However, they also offer tremendous opportunity for sharing about Christ.

So, I ran a race, drank a beer, and had some nice fellowship. It made for a good morning.

No Beer Before Noon

On Sunday mornings we frequently drive to friends' homes to gather as the body of Christ. While on the way, our family usually stops at a nearby convenience mart for drinks. For me it's almost always a Coke (hey, I live in Georgia).

A few Sundays ago as I was getting a Coke out of a refrigerator I noticed something odd. The coolers nearby that contain the beer were locked. Specifically, some sort of rod was placed across the handles to keep the coolers closed. No one was allowed to buy alcohol at that time. When I've gone in that store at other times of the week the coolers have appeared to be open (nothing blocking them).

I asked at the counter about this. In our county no alcohol can be bought between midnight and noon on Sundays. Any other day of the week is fine, just not Sundays.

This particular law is one of those blue laws that I'm still amazed exists in the USA. This law is based on the mistaken idea that people should not be drinking, but instead should be in church on Sunday morning. Remember that I live in the Bible Belt.

Laws of this type are a last holdover of Christendom. They are an attempt by some to impose their own Christian-ish morality upon secular society. The intent is to force unbelievers to act like believers (as if buying alcohol or attending worship services has anything to do with biblical Christianity anyway).

As followers of Christ, we are not called to fight culture wars. Jesus never expected the secular world to act like members of his kingdom. Instead, Christ desires people who will give all to follow him. Culture is changed one person at a time through the gospel of Christ. It is gospel, not law, that saves.

Free Beer!

I found myself in the midst of an odd situation yesterday.

Let me back up a bit.  Earlier this week we were told that the Discovery Channel would be filming at my place of employment (JCB) for a new show that will air this summer. The producers of the show wanted to give a glimpse of the JCB employees in a more casual setting to supplement the factory footage. In order to do this, we were all invited (and highly encouraged) to go to a particular restaurant after work on Friday.

Most people don't want to go to a restaurant after work at the end of the week.  In order to get more folks to come, JCB offered to pick up the tab. In other words: FREE BEER!