Beer and Theology

This morning, CBS Sunday Morning, showed a story on beer. I like beer, but only "good" beer. One of the people they interviewed said that knowing good beer is at least as hard as knowing good wine. It made me chuckle but yes, in my opinion he was definitely right. My comment to Tom was that knowing good beer is kind of like knowing good theology. Good beer is created through a thorough process requiring years of studying; a brewer takes as much pride in his product as a good theologian does in sharing his theology with people.

To me, telling good, mediocre, and bad beer apart is easy. The flavor goes on a sliding scale from strong, powerful, and satisfying to bitter water with an odd yellowish color. When you drink a good beer you enjoy it, and you only need one to feel satisfied.

OK, you may think that comparing beer with theology is a stretch, and it probably is, but for me, finding out exactly what good theology is, is not an easy task. My first and biggest disappointment in both, is the dilution that takes place in order to make them mainstream and acceptable to the masses.

I have lived in America for a little over 11 years now, and you can count on one hand the number of times I have drunk a light beer. To me, this kind of product has had many key ingredients removed in order to offer a middle of the road solution that will keep people at a certain level of happiness.

I feel that the same is taking place and has been taking place in the Christian world. The real God and the real Bible is not soft and cuddly; it is not diluted like cheap beer. The real God is strong, powerful, and satisfying, and you will only need one. I am still trying out different churches; the one I tried today was different from any I had ever had before, the theology was good, the flavor was intense, but yet sweet and possibly addictive in the long run.

P

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