A couple of days ago I came across a new podcast called Embedded. In this NPR podcast host Kelly McEvers “goes deep.” The idea behind the show is to take the headlines we read and examine their back stories: uncovering who these people are, why they do what they do, and at times what can be done to help. The show concept is fascinating and extremely compelling.
In the first episode McEvers examines the cause of an HIV breakout in a small town in Indiana. Austin, IN population 4,000 had 200 diagnosed cases as of the recording of the podcast. That means that 5% of the population has tested HIV positive, which is a huge number. This outbreak can be traced back to the drug Opana. People in Austin have begun cooking and shooting up this drug, leading to the sharing and reusing of needles. These needles, infected with HIV, are spreading the virus in Austin at an alarming rate.
At the end of her investigation she said something that really made me think about addiction and its impact on individuals. McEvers says:
The thing is Jeff, Joy, Devin, and Samantha’s brain chemistry has been changed by their addiction. Researchers say they are different people because they’ve used this drug. Studies show that quitting a drug like Opana is nearly impossible unless you use what is called a medication assisted treatment… expecting Devin and Samantha to quit on their own just isn’t fair.
I’ve heard of this notion before, that people can’t quit certain drugs on their own. The way McEvers presented it, however, caused me to think more in-depth about this issue, and how christians should respond. Addiction is real. Body chemistry is important. Christians cannot ignore these issues. McEvers statement, “Expecting Devin and Samantha to quit on their own just isn’t fair,” is right. At times addicts can’t quit. At times addicts need medication assisted treatment. At times addicts need christians to think outside the box about how to serve and minister to them.
More than any of this though, addicts need the gospel. Yes, they can’t change on their own; yes, at times they need medication assisted treatment; but without the gospel none of this matters. Christians need to stop expecting people to just change, and start walking with people through the change. We need to realize that some addictions are not a switch that people can just turn on and off. By loving people, living life with them, and sharing the truth of the gospel with them, we can see lives truly set free from addiction. Addiction is a disability, but it is not a disability that cannot be overcome.