“Well you know what his problem is, he’s looking for Jesus in a bottle!” Wow, what a descriptive phrase! I was working at an exclusive men’s clothing
store, one of the many jobs I had before entering the ministry, when I first heard
the expression; ‘looking for Jesus in a
bottle’ as a way to describe a person seeking answers to their problems
through alcohol. I often took my lunch
break in the seamstress room in the back of the clothing store. I enjoyed the company of the two elderly
black women who made alterations on the suits we sold. They were the age of my grandmothers and had
observed a great deal over the years that gave them considerable wisdom. I learned much that is not found in a text
book or classroom from talking and listening to them.
I have often thought of how much was expressed in that
simple and colorful statement. Whether
we realize it or not we are all seekers in this life. Most, if not all, of our activities and
pursuits are actually seeking the things that are only found in and through the
love of God. Some get lost or discouraged
in the journey and look in wrong directions or wrong places such as; alcohol,
drugs, sex, power and sometimes even in distorted religious viewpoints but
still we all really want the same things.
No matter how we go about it we are really seeking love, fulfillment,
joy and redemption as we go through life.
We all have physical needs; food, shelter, etc. but a noted
student of human behavior taught me that people have three primary emotional
needs in addition to our physical needs.
Physical needs are essential for survival while emotional needs are
crucial for the quality of life one experiences. The three universal emotional needs are
described as; the need to be loved, the
need to give love and to have a sense of purpose. One cannot experience the full joy of
life without emotional and spiritual maturity.
A newborn baby needs to be loved. Babies who are not loved become emotionally
deprived and often spend the rest of their lives seeking to be noticed or
accepted, frequently in ways that are not healthy or constructive. They may act up or act out in ways that are
destructive to themselves and those around them when they are really seeking to
fill the void caused by a lack of love.
The second emotional need, the need to share love, is also
important for healthy and mature emotional health. A two year old can often be difficult because
they think they are the center of the universe and everything exists for their
own use or pleasure. Hopefully the ‘terrible two’ stage is short-lived as
the child learns to share or express love to those around them. Sadly some people never learn to properly give
love and spend their lives in a sad immature narcissistic world.
We also have a need to find meaning or purpose in our
existence.
Herman Melville in his
classic novel, Moby Dick wrote the following; “For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul
of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by
all of the horrors of the half-lived life”.
We all really want to get the most out of this brief life. Melville describes the inner peace and
fulfillment we seek as a tropical island paradise, “one insular Tahiti, full of
peace and joy”. However the
island is surrounded by “this appalling ocean” of uncertainty,
depression and despair which can cause a hopelessness described as “the
horrors of the half-lived life”, that can lead to destructive ‘escape
destinations’, in other words, “looking for Jesus in a bottle!”
I do not think it is too simplistic to say that most, if not
all, destructive behavior to ourselves and those around us comes from looking
in the wrong places for that which is offered by following the teachings and
life example of Jesus. In nearly 7
decades of a life spent looking for Jesus I have discovered Him in expected and
sometimes surprising places. Sadly I
find that He is not seen often enough in churches. We frequently try to create an atmosphere in
church that is actually more emotional than Spiritual. One can have an emotionally uplifting experience
in church but that same result can also be experienced attending a Taylor Swift
concert. I actually was more moved by
Tina Turner in my day but that is another subject. Too often one system of belief tries to claim
an exclusive title to truth which actually leads followers farther away from
finding Jesus. No matter what religious
belief one prefers (Hindu, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism or Christianity) there is a
common ground of truth in all legitimate religious teachings. In obedience and repentance one finds
salvation, if you obey God and do good deeds, you will be blessed, if you
disobey you will be lost; that is the clear message of all true religious
teachings.
So I look for Jesus in everything and everywhere one can
find truth, harmony and love. Certainly He
can be found in church but more often I see Him in the truth of His Word, the innocent
smile and joy of a child, the love shown to (or from) a stranger, the
faithfulness and forgiveness of a friend or loved one. We can see Jesus most clearly when we are
truly unified as brothers and sisters. That
was his prayer in John 17:21-23. Thus
the love, fulfillment, joy and redemption we really need and seek in life is not
that difficult to find if we look in the right places. Where are you looking today?
