Wedding Wine & Dry January

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  

Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it. When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:1-11 NRSVue 

How is Dry January going for you? You are probably aware that this is the invitation for people to give up alcohol for the month and examine their relationship with alcohol. For some alcohol consumption is an addiction that has a load of negative consequences, affecting employment, relationships, and health. There is also encouragement for those who don't want to give up drinking entirely to choose Damp January, a mindful reduction in consumption. Of course, there are the wags who claim that for them Dry January means only drinking dry wines. 

During my years of ministry I had plenty of conversations with those who were dealing with secret and not-so-secret issues with drinking. Often they were attempting to extend the benefits of attending Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization whose chapters often meet in church basements and sometimes, ironically, more welcoming and less judgmental that the congregations that provide them space. 

                                                                           Joseph Matar

Speaking of irony, today's gospel lesson is about the story found only in John's gospel where Jesus turns water into wine to keep a wedding party lubricated. Jesus seems to get into a slightly testy exchange with his Mom who figures he can do something about the wine running out. She's right, because mothers are always right, aren't they? 

This is often described as Jesus' first miracle and a celebration of abundance, a foretaste of the abundant life in Christ. I've heard conservative Christians suggest that this wasn't a alcoholic beverage based on nothing more than their prohibitions on booze of any kind. We have relatives who are employees of the Southern Baptist denomination and drinking alcohol could be a firing offence. I suppose I observe Damp ________ (insert month here because I am a moderate drinker) but I've seen the damage alcohol does, as well as the pleasure it brings. 

Apparently Canadians are consuming less alcoholic beverages, even in bars and restaurants, exploring alternatives. It still seems that drinking and driving is a societal scourge. 

Now that the Surgeon General in the United States is saying that there should be warning labels on alcohol containers similar to those on cigarette containers, should there be a cautionary note inserted above this story of the Wedding at Cana?