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Did you know that today is Fat Tuesday? I always thought that was a rather amusing name for a holiday… 🙂

Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or where I used to live they call it Carnival… whatever you call it, it is the one day of decadence before you fast for Lent. During Lent, you give up some worldly pleasure that the other 325 days of the year you are a bit more free to indulge in. So, in bachelor party style, you “live it up” the day prior to such a holy, self-depriving pilgrimmage.

It makes me laugh, the thought of such revelry being acceptable, since “Tomorrow, we fast! We will beat our bodies and spirits into submission to the Holiness of God!” We are such funny creatures.

The biggest of these celebrations of the pleasures of life in our country happens in New Orleans. (N’awrlins… not NEW Orleens) But I found out today there are similar celebrations all along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. When they mentioned one in Mobile, AL, I chuckled, thinking of our friend who is a Methodist pastor in that area. I wondered in jest if he was heading out to the parades and the drunken festivities…

Then it hit me.

Why am I still such a line-drawer? I personally would not join in such festivities because I know that none of that is good for me… but I think I was going a tad too far and drawing lines, erecting fences between me – who does it right – and them – the spiritual weaklings who are lost in the darkeness of their own worldly gluttony.

Would Jesus be at those parades? The sinless One? If somehow there were some festivity where everyone was indulging wildly in the pleasures of life, would he be there? Or would he quietly avoid that and then rejoin everyone afterwards?

Careful now… this may be a bit radical for you…

I think he would be. I think we see Jesus hanging out with the seedy crowd. Not in church, mind you… after they have cleaned up from all their filth. No, he went to their houses. He went to their parties. His first recorded “miracle” was at a wedding – HE MADE WINE! (And good wine, at that…) 🙂

Jesus said, “For John the Baptist didn’t drink wine and he often fasted, and you say, `He’s demon possessed.’ And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, `He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it.” (Matthew 11:18-19)

Neither of those guys were fully what they were accused of, but I think it can be inferred that Jesus was comfortable hanging out at a party where alcohol was served. 🙂

So would he be at the Mardi Gras celebration? I don’t really have an answer. But I know my thinking was challenged once again today. I don’t think Jesus had an “off-limits” sign posted on any one, or any place. He was not offended by our sin (as I spoke of in the last blog). He was not wishy-washy, either. He spoke plainly about choices in life that will ruin us and those around us. But while he condemned sin, he never condemned or even avoided the sinner.

So, more lines continue to fall in my mind. Perhaps that will translate to my steps, and perhaps my feet will continue to fall more in the path of my Master. I am so glad he leads the Way. He IS the Way.