Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:18-19 (day three)
“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation.”
Paul said drunkenness will do it. Luke said hard labor will do it. Jesus said even a church service will do it. What were they talking about? They each warned against distraction – distraction from the difficult, yet vital inner work of reflection, discovery, and transformation. In this passage, Paul points to the use of substances as a means of diverting the mind’s attention from God’s activity. Elsewhere, Luke highlights the way Martha used arduous domestic duties as an alternative focus to Jesus’s teaching. And in Matthew’s gospel, the Lord himself noted in that not even the formal worship of God substitutes for the inner work necessary for reconciliation with a sister or brother. Enlisting the Sprit’s help for soul-work isn’t easy. Diversions are ready to help you forget.
Spot on, Brian. Your biblical references to diversions were enlightening…each, in itself not necessarily a bad thing except when used as a substitute for the inner working of reconciliation. What clarity in such a few sentences. Thank you for sharing.