Dead at 46. The needle still in his arm. 50 bags of heroin and 12 hypodermic needles in his hotel room. Incredibly gifted actor. Tragic.
Heroin use is on a steep rise. The number of Americans that say they have tried heroin is up 80% from just five years ago. One fourth of all people who try heroin will become hopelessly addicted, caught in a web from which they cannot escape.
Our theology teaches us that we are all caught in a web from which we cannot escape. We are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. This is a moment in which we must preach a deeper theology of sin than what gets promulgated in pop preaching.
The Pharisees come out of the woodwork at times like this. “He shouldn’t have done drugs.” Well, yes. Of course. Just say no. It’s a simplistic worldview. We are all addicted to something. We all turn to something for hope and life. In deeply painful times of life we grasp for anything that will deaden the psychic, emotional, physical or spiritual pain. All of us. One way or another the wages of this is death. This is as true of doughnuts as it is cigarettes or heroin. It’s all matter of degree.
When we view the world from a hyper-moralistic standpoint, we see the alcoholic as a sinner, and us as not-sinner. This judgmental worldview makes us feel better about ourselves and allows us to dodge the truth of our own condition.
When, however, we view the alcoholic through the lens of addiction, we respond with compassion rather than judgement. We recognize in others’ brokenness their humanity, and ours too. This brings us to a theology of grace, and a compassionate God who loves us relentlessly, accepting us for who we are in spite of our deep flaws. We have a God who justifies the ungodly. This is truly good news.
February 4, 2014 at 11:00 am
Amen and Amen.
KLB
February 4, 2014 at 9:08 pm
Once upon a time I was quite judgmental regarding drug and alcohol addiction. Then I married a wonderful man who had 2 very young boys. As the boys became teenagers, it became apparent our older son had addiction issues. After a series of rehab treatments, several “clean” and very productive years, he lost his battle in 2010. He was about to complete a PhD in Psychology, and has been credited in helping others deal with their addictions. He was a strong yet kind person who wanted to make a difference. He completely changed my perspective regarding addiction.
It’s been almost 4 years since we lost our son to heroin and we find our only peace knowing that he is no longer in pain. We all experience some degree of pain and brokenness … some more public than others. I hate to think where we would be without the comfort of God’s grace.
Thanks for posting this.
February 4, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Thanks for the comment Georgine. My heart aches for you.
February 5, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Bishop Rinehart,
I don’t understand “justifies” in this sentence, “We have a God who justifies the ungodly.” I was following and agreeing with everything you said and then that sentence confused me. Could you please explain what you mean?
Thank you,
Carolyn
February 5, 2014 at 2:13 pm
I agree with your message of grace, but I struggle with the use of the word “tragic”. I’ve struggled with this for years as we watch celebrity deaths categorized as “tragic” while “non-famous-people” who lose similar battles are relegated to back pages of the newspaper or given such brief articles that most people overlook them completely. I struggle with the use of “tragic” because headlines of innocent people gunned-down in senseless violence somehow simply these people as being “in the wrong place at the wrong time” or just another “statistic” – but somehow pop-culture has saved “tragic” for those who have attained a visibility and a stage that most of us will never understand. I struggle because it seems we have saved “tragic” to define what happens mostly to those who are on the biggest stages and in the public eye.
I will agree it is heartbreaking, pause-making, and stock-taking. I will agree we are in no place to throw stones or make judgments. I am grateful for the grace of God which makes no sense to my human mind. I am grateful that God loves me (and everyone in the world) despite my (our) flaws.
If anything is tragic it is not the death of a person mired in addiction or caught-up in a world that glamorizes and excuses the lifestyles of the “rich and famous.” What is tragic is that (as you point out) we would rather offer judgment than to take opportunities we are given to shine the light of God’s grace freely given to all in the midst of the darkness of life.
February 6, 2014 at 7:28 am
Thanks Eric. This death would be every bit as tragic if you individual was publicly unknown.
February 6, 2014 at 7:40 am
Great question Carolyn. Yes, this language is a bit churchy. Let me attempt to unpack it. Justification comes from a long conversation in the Judeo-Christian tradition about what is right, or righteous, or just. What makes a certain action or decision righteous? What makes a person righteous person? In religious terms, how does one get right with God? When I’m speaking with those outside religious circles I translate it by talking about what is right or just the broader sense. Most religious traditions hold that you get right with God by doing good works, saying enough prayers, going to church, giving to charity, not sinning… The apostle Paul said that we are justified by grace through faith not by works. We are imperfect, incapable to doing the right (or righteous, or just) thing all the time. Righteousness is a free gift (grace). Not earned. We are created by a loving God who loves us in spite of ourselves. This love is the most powerful force, drawing us together and transforming us. Righteousness is not collecting brownie points, but living in a loving relationship with God of life. This is what the whole Jesus thing is about. That’s my best attempt to decode the religious mumbo-jumbo. 🙂 Ultimately what I meant is that doing drugs or not doing drugs does not a righteous man make.