Message: The Timeless Human Pursuit of Substance Use Across Cultures (05/26/'24)

Message: The Timeless Human Pursuit of Substance Use Across Cultures In ancient lands where marble statues whispered wisdom and olive groves danced under the watchful eye of gods, a cup of wine passed lips like a sacred rite, a nectar of joy, and a balm for weary souls. Civilizations rose on the banks of rivers, where herbs and potions held the secrets of the earth. Healing hands and mystical minds crafted elixirs to soothe and inspire. The Greeks, with their myths and philosophies, draped in togas and crowned with laurel, sought the divine in the taste of fermented grapes, finding solace in Dionysian dreams. Fast forward to the neon hum of modern cities, where glass towers scrape the sky and streets pulse with the rhythm of restless lives. Addiction creeps like a shadow in the alleys. Water, pure and clear, remains our constant, yet wine, and more, weave through our days. Narcotics and stimulants are our silent companions in a world where speed and stress prevail. Ancient sensibilities were carved from stone and scroll, while modern minds are shaped by silicon and screens. Yet both, in their core, seek that fleeting peace in the embrace of substances for a moment’s release. Regulations rise like iron gates to shield us from our own desires, yet the heart still yearns, in whispers and cries, for the timeless escape, the momentary fire. From the olive groves to urban jungles, the human spirit’s quest remains—to find in a glass, a leaf, or a pill, a glimpse of solace, a break from pain. For no civilization, old or new, has found life tolerable without a touch of the divine, the numbing, the exhilarating. This is a timeless pursuit, spanning ages and lands. Pastor Steven G. Lee (May 26, 2024)