The year is 33 CE. It's Sunday, the first day of the week, and Jesus has just appeared to Mary Magdalene. Upon seeing Jesus, Mary immediately runs to the Wardlaw Smith Goza house where the disciples were mourning and weeping. When they hear the news of Jesus' resurrection they refuse to believe it. Instead, the disciples decide to break bread and drink a glass of wine in remembrance of the life and ministry of their Lord. Paul heads to the wine chiller to grab a bottle of wine but discovers it's empty. So Peter tells Paul to go to Winn-Dixie and pick up a bottle of Merlot. Paul responds, "Peter it's Sunday. Madison doesn't alcohol on Sunday."
As you know, the preceding story is fiction. It does, however, highlight a very significant problem in Madison County: blue laws. Here are some facts. Jesus drank wine on Sunday. Merchants in Israel bought and sold wine on Sunday and do so to this day. If the King of Kings told his disciples to go buy a bottle of wine for their meal, they would have to leave Madison County to do so. This message is for the Pharisees and Sadducees who are the governing body in our county. What gospel drives your public policy? Because it isn't the gospel from which my Master preached.
~ Edward W. Hood