Of Gambling Addiction
- The Rev. Jamey Russell
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Hello Saints,
First, I want everyone to know that so far our Spring Alpha Course has been going very well. The first week we had 9 guests from the community. They enjoyed it enough to invite others so that this week we had 14! Next week is the last week new guests can join so if you know anyone who was on the fence encourage them to come next Friday and check it out.
The Atlantic Magazine's cover story this month snagged my interest. It's no surprise why. It's by staff writer Mckay Coppins and called Sucker: My year as a degenerate gambler. Since the Supreme Court's decision to allow the individual states to decide on the legality of sports gambling the industry has grown exponentially. "Americans legally bet $4.9 billion on sports. Last year, that number rose to at least $160 billion." The editors gave Coppins $10,000 to go and learn what the experience of this new industry was like from the inside.
It didn't go well.
I am not going to summarize the whole article for you here, but as a recovering gambling addict it was a depressing and familiar story. The article is amazing, and it is also terrible for the same reason. It shows how gambling took over Coppins' life. Within just a few months he was losing sleep, hiding his phone use from others, and making excuses for all the time and attention his gambling was taking. And this is BEFORE any real monetary losses. In fact, he was doing well. The losses eventually did start to happen, and in the end he lost the whole 10k. But the money was the result of the losses that had already taken place; his attention, his passion, his love, his imagination had all been ensnared. Many people make the mistake thinking that gambling addiction is all about the money. Yes, money is involved, but this article shows the real problem emotional and spiritual. Dare I say it, just like every other addiction.
This is one of the MANY reasons why the message of the gospel is so important. We have a God who can and does heal people from all kinds of spiritual brokenness. It is a message is of grace, healing, and freedom. We proclaim that Jesus is retaking His creation by storming the beaches of our stone hearts, and that our heavenly Father runs through the streets to meet His returning children, however broken.
In Christ,
Jamey +
The article is behind a paywall, but you can listen to a summary of the article in an interview with Mckay Coppins here.
Prayer
O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon those who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who minister to them, give patient understanding and persevering love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song
This is one of my all time favorite songs by Josh Garrels called At The Table. It seems particularly relevant to this week's topic.
Spotify Link
YouTube Link
