Alcohol is, and should be treated as, a sacrament. Do I mean that it should only be dispensed by the Church? No, of course not - I mean that when and where it is shared should be a church, an experience with meaning and depth. Alcohol is a profound drug, like many others. It has its appropriate uses and its particular forms of abuse. It liberates the mind, creating a temporary reorganisation of priorities and emotions, it jumbles the senses, it enables a more intense joy, sadness, and sometimes even passion. Alcohol should not be a habit. It loses its power and becomes a sedative, an addiction, and a poison if consumed habitually without regard for its power and its sacred nature. As a sacrament, alcohol should not be abused. By abuse I mean, drinking to excess, to the point where one's self is obliterated (there are better drugs for this that produce positive results), I mean drinking with those you do not like, I mean drinking in situations where one would not ordinarily be comfortable, drinking without a true reason. Drinking in reasonable amounts with those one is close to can add a special dimension to the bonds you share. It can heighten the ecstasy of religious or spiritual ceremonies. It can even be used to gently pry forth the sadness in one's soul in order to examine it more closely. Please treat your states of intoxication with respect and they will do the same for you! 8/4/00 
© Huw Powell
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