ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

As I write these articles, I find that I don’t want to inject too much Brendan into them. I’ll tell a story or something, but I want the articles to have a timeless element to them and I don’t want to be a narcissist. However, I’ve felt restricted at times with this, so I’ve been writing a few reflections that I’ll link to in the bottom of their corresponding articles.

This article was inspired by some studying that I have been doing in preparation for the upcoming school year. Our campus ministry is in transition, and we the students will be taking a greater initiative in leading the way. What does this mean? We’re not sure, so we’ve been studying Scripture, mainly focused on Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12, Titus, 1 Timothy, and so on. I read chapters 9 and 10 in 1 Corinthians, probably just to get some context around chapters 12 and 13.

What I came to realize is that being a leader like Paul means that you have to make some sacrifices, and I don’t think that’s something I fully appreciated. Here’s the main example that was in my head while I was writing the article.

Drinking. If you’ve spoken to me over the past year or so, I’ve been pretty consistent. No to drunkenness, yes to drinking. I’ve studied the Scriptures and the arguments presented on the subject, and I feel that the arguments against drinking are pretty weak and/or forced. My conscience backs me; it didn’t feel wrong to drink, though I know that’s not the only compass. I had some great discussions about it with my Pittsburgh friends. I then went to Australia, where drinking isn’t a big deal. I averaged a six pack every two or three weeks, enough to get a taste for what Australia was brewing. I was always careful about the situation I was in when I drank; I didn’t do it when there was a massive house party at my place and when I found myself in similar situations. It makes more sense to have it with dinner, you know?

While I was out there and since I’ve been home, I’ve begun to consider what my drinking habits will be like when the school year starts, and this entry is the basis of my thought process. As Paul said, don’t abstain from meat sacrificed to idols for your conscience, but for others. And that’s just it. I’ve never been drunk, I’ve never spent a lot of time with drunk people, and if there was an alcoholic in the family, he or she was always sober around me. It’s not a big deal to me, really. But when I go to school, I’ll be surrounded by Christians who came out of the party scene, who harbor a strong attraction to getting drunk, who, when they smell the alcohol, recall memories (or lack thereof) of the good times they had before they were saved. If they see me as a leader and they see me drink, would that mess them up?

Since the answer isn’t a resounding “no,” then that means I have to sacrifice my Christian freedom to drink to a certain extent. Completely? I’m not sure. I have a friend who is a leader in a campus ministry, and he said he had beer in the fridge at home, he just didn’t show it around campus or around people who might be adversely affected by it.

So, here’s where I’m at right now. My enjoyment of a beverage should never stand as a stumbling block for a brother, and so that means that I must minimize its presence in my life, particularly in public. Is that fair to me? It doesn’t matter. It is the situation to which I am called, and building up the body is more important to me.

That’s hard to say! It isn’t about not being able to do something; I can accept that. I just don’t like to have my freedom restricted, cause I’m so used to being in a place where I have a lot of freedom!

I’ve always said that leaders aren’t special, that they’re not a special breed or anything. They’re just further along in their walks and they live consistently and people will follow that. I guess that’s still true to me, but perhaps I’ve hit a point in my walk where people are looking to me. If that’s the case, then I have to be careful. There’s the verse that says that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We focus on the second half, but we’ve gotta realize that the first half is still true. Man can’t see into our hearts, so a lot of our witness relies on what they see. I always have to make sure I don’t put up fronts to look good on the outside; I need to make sure that what shows on the outside is a proper reflection of what’s inside, and I hope that what’s inside is where I need to be.

Cheers,
Brendan