Comment By Torchlight

Drug Scourge

The gravity of the growing drug-cult in the United Kingdom was emphasized by the Home Secretary, Mr James Callaghan, when moving the second reading of the Misuse of Drugs Bill in the House of Commons last month. He described drugtaking as "a dreadful scourge" and called for a concerted effort to deal with it in the legal, social and medical fields. Mr Callaghan spoke of his first-hand investigation of drug-taking, which took him to clinics where he met the worst types of addicts. He said, "Anyone who is tempted to experiment or believes we should be taking the matter lightly could not see these people without an intense feeling of shame and pity".

One of the perplexities of the problem is the speed with which drug fashions change. "A new drug can be thrown up almost at a moment's notice. A peace pill, reported in the. United States last week, is reputed to be ten times more powerful than LSD", said Mr Callaghan.

A critic of the Bill said, "There are many good things about this Bill but my criticism, in general terms, is that it deals very heavily on powers and penalties. There is too little on the people involved. This is not simply a chemical problem. It is primarily a human problem". Indeed the human problem is the most moving aspect of this terrible scourge. The insidious working in secret until the victim is almost beyond help is the despair of those engaged in the difficult work of rehabilitation.

Here is yet another aspect of man's "pollution of environment to which we referred last month. If the pollution of natural resources has become a serious menace to mankind, this corrupting of the minds and bodies of men and women by noxious drugs for the sake of gain is perhaps a darker blot on twentieth-century civilization. Such trafficking in the bodies and souls of men will be a terrible feature of Antichrist's kingdom in the closing days of the age (Revelation 18.13). Then Babylon the great, the pride of human civilization of the end-

time, will be overthrown and made desolate in "one hour" (Revelation 18.19).

Those who engage in the nefarious trade of drug-trafficking are most active in schools, colleges and universities. All who care for the moral and spiritual well-being of young people should be alert to the danger and give counsel and warning of the perils of this and other modern addictions. Restlessness and frustration sometimes tempt young people to experiment in what may seem harmless diversions but which can become the first steps in a life of misery and despair.

Paul's advice to his son in the faith, Timothy, remains true:

"Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come", "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 4.8; 6.6).

"What's in it for me?"

We live in an acquisitive age when the prevalent mood is frequently expressed in the phrase, "What's in it for me?" The article beginning on page 77, Giving to the Lord, by our esteemed co-worker Alan Toms, is a timely reminder that sacrificial giving is a basic necessity to true Christian discipleship.

The spirit of the age is a subtle challenge to all who would live godly in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3.12). The acquisition of material possessions, fostered by the skilful manipulation of modern advertising techniques, is high on the list of priorities of the masses. The delusion that material wealth solves all life's problems accounts for the gambling craze which permeates modern society. The alarming growth of dishonesty and petty crime is another by-product of the same delusion. And the relentless pursuit of power and prestige, often masquerading as commendable ambition, comes from the same source. The struggle to get to the top by fair means or foul, no matter who is trampled down in the process, is an ugly feature in the business world, in politics, and in other areas of power.

All this is alien to the spirit of self-denying service which is the hall-mark of the true disciple. We sometimes challenge unbelievers with our Lord's words:

"What shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?" (Matthew 16.26).

But the question was addressed to the disciples, and is one which calls us continually to review our motives and re-assess our priorities. There can be no modification of our Lord's definition of true discipleship:

"If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 16.24,25).

unknown | May 1970
Comment By Torchlight