You may not be a fan of Eastenders but there's a good chance you've a heard the storyline. Lauren Branning - 19 - has a drink-problem. And the problem is getting worse. For nearly a year now, the character whose parents have split up and whose Mum has been seriously ill, has been drinking. At first she got drunk to forget. Now she's an addict. A teenage alcoholic with serious liver damage. The future is beginning to look bleak.
Or maybe, when you think "alcoholic" your mind conjures images of Shameless', Frank or The Simpson's, Barney? There are plenty of characters to choose from. Images of those with drink-problems flick across our screens daily.
There are plenty of real life examples of people whose drinking is out of control too. Indeed, one adult in 13 is dependent on drink according to Government statistics. 33,000 people die each year due to alcohol-related incidents or associated health problems. Alcohol is involved in 15% of road accidents, 26% of drownings, and 36% of deaths in fires.
So, here's a question for you. If anyone with a drink-problem walked into your church, how would they cope?
If they came to a church social, would they be confronted with a tableful of booze? If they took communion, would there be a non-alcoholic option? If there is a non-alcoholic option, would they be able to access it without having to point very obviously to a different chalice or go to a separate part of the room? Are there people willing to pray? Are there people longing to support without condemnation, willing to read the Bible and help hold them accountable as they struggle, fall and recover? Is your youth-leader equipped to talk to the young people about drinking in ways that are biblical? Are there members of the congregation who are willing to love such precious people on those days when they're not sober, when they're hungover and laden with guilt?
It's a question worth asking ... Because not everyone who struggles with alcohol looks like Lauren or Barney or Frank. Some look just like you and me. On the surface you probably wouldn't have a clue about their struggles with the bottle. But they could walk into your church any week. They might have been there over the weekend.
Different churches will respond in different ways. And it's a matter over which there is some liberty. But the call to avoid causing others to stumble holds firm. So let's be passionate about removing those stumbling blocks in our church communities today.
