The Bible warns its readers, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these… Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”.
St. Paul had to write these lines because he witnessed these evils in the society in Greece nearly 2,000 years ago. Greece by then had already produced great philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, and other intellectual giants like Pythagoras. And despite inheriting such sublime wisdom passed on from one generation to the next, Paul had to remind people how such things would keep them away from the divine. But Paul or anyone for that matter could, without hesitation or exaggeration, write exactly the same things for our age and be certain that it would apply to people in corners of the world.
I am, however, of the firm belief that human beings are created good, for good and do actually mean well most of the time. Psychologists, sociologists and genuine spiritual leaders would be able to provide us with appropriate analysis as to when and, indeed, why human beings gravitate towards evil. Whatever be the cause, we need to be constantly reminded of turning to our basic nature implanted in us by our Creator, and several institutions on our planet, not just the spiritual ones, attempt doing exactly that.
Considering that “drunkenness” in its various forms, one of the evils illustrated by St Paul, has been ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people, the United Nations decided to declare June 26 as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a date chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu’s dismantling of the opium trade in Guangdong, just before the First Opium War in China in the mid 19th century.
The day is supposed to express the international community’s determination to combat and eventually eradicate drug abuse. This year’s theme is: “Drug use disorders are preventable and treatable”. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime selects themes for the international day and launches campaigns to raise awareness about them. Health is the ongoing theme of the world drug campaign.
Young people, particularly in university surroundings, often talk about the “highs” induced by drugs, get hooked to it. Unfortunately, they are not aware that use of drugs knows only one route, leading to great “lows”. St. Paul, therefore, rightly reminds his readers and us too, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (divine)”.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religion, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com
