Tj and I enjoyed the city center and people in Dublin. We walked down O’Connell street, hammocked in St. Stephens Green, explored the Museum of Natural history, ate fish n chips (we both agree Ireland beats England and Scotland on taste!), threw chips to birds in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, walked to the castle (wasn’t what we had expected… a slight let down!), explored Temple Bar area, and went to local bar three kilometers outside the city based on a Irishman’s recommendation. We walked 17.5 miles this first day. The next morning, we met Jonathan while eating breakfast and we all explored the city together. We went to the Leprechaun Museum to learn about Ireland’s storytelling and mythical history, walked through Phoenix Park, went to some more museums, and found an amazing Chinese buffet for eight euros. That night, we went to a pub crawl at two famous locations where we talked to many backpackers and lead the “cotteneye joe” dance at the bar.
We stayed the rest of our time with brothers from the church living next to the University College of Dublin. For TJ’s last day, we took a train to Howth, which was very beautiful. We searched everywhere for a classic shepard’s pie but no one sold it and enjoyed fish n chips instead. We had a nice dinner and fellowship with our hosts and TJ left early in the morning back to the states (with a pitstop in Chicago for a deep dish pizza). I enjoyed my time meeting other believers in Dublin, learning about the history of the brethren believers in 1820, and visiting Trinity College. Off to Munich to see Devon!!
Duration
4 days
Accommodation
Egali Hostel (1 night), Believer’s Flat (4 nights)
Favorite Food
Guinness Beer
Favorite Site
Howth
Cool Person I Met
Jonathan. Jonathan accidentally started backpacking Europe after his original plan drastically changed. He was supposed to volunteer in Israel with a Christian organization but wasn’t allowed to cross the customs! Even worse, he is now banned 10 years from coming into Israel because of mentioning his intent to volunteer in West Bank. Lesson learned… be wise when speaking to customs! Anyway, we enjoyed a lovely walk in Phoenix Park and had some awesome convo about apologetics, traveling, and cultures.
Highlight
Exploring Temple Bar area at night with fellow pub crawlers
Big Takeaway
Is it okay for Christians to drink alcohol? The simple (Biblical) answer from my understanding is yes absolutely, but it’s not okay to get drunk. Jesus drank wine (at least one can infer this from reading the gospels). On the other hand, there are Biblical cases when drinking alcohol is not okay. We should not “cause our brother to stumble”. It might not be okay to drink a beer in front of your recovering alcoholic friend because they may be tempted to drink excessively. I don’t see a clear-cut answer for this because it depends! There is a difference between the “letter of the law” and the “spirit of the law”. The spirit of law requires us to call upon God for wisdom because each situation is unique. Committing sin doesn’t only disobey a law that says, ‘thou shalt not get drunk’. God is living and active. He is the ultimate judge who understands a person’s true motives and situation. Outwardly obeying a rule can be shallow at times.
I’d like to share my perspective and experience with alcohol. My first drink was at 21 (wow!) with my Dad at a Ruby Tuesday. At 16, I had the conviction to never even taste alcohol. I think I was influenced by my parents’ conviction to stop drinking after they had been bartenders for years. Since I vowed to God that I wouldn’t drink, even tasting alcohol would’ve been a sin for me, yet would be perfectly okay for someone else. Well, at 21 I had a total perspective change and after time spent praying, felt my original vow was no longer valid now going forward. My primary motive for drinking is to connect with people in social contexts. I found that sharing a beer with a colleague during my internship and sharing with new friends over a football game became a great way to connect in a comfortable environment. I don’t ever want to come off as “holier than thou”. Having a drink is totally normal and definitely tasty. If God convicts you to never drink, Amen! Go strong in the convictions. If you want to drink, that’s awesome. We should still observe the law (21 and under in America, 16 and under in Belgium) and not to get drunk. Alcohol is not evil in itself. It depends how it’s used or consumed.
Your Turn
What are your thoughts on Christians drinking alcohol?
What’s your favorite beer?
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.