One of my favorite chapters in the BB is There Is A Solution. I’m always amazed at what happened to me and so many others. That’s what happened to the “first” man, an alcoholic, who was told to seek a spiritual experience, if he wanted to get sober and live. The amazing thing it was a historically and medically famous psychiatrist, back when it wasn’t allowed for them to talk about anything but psychiatry. Dr. Carl Jung was the man, who did this for the young man, who eventually became influential in changing alcoholics lives and saving so many individuals.
The door in here is open to anyone, as long as they have a desire to stop drinking. I know that the original men, who founded this program, wanted to insure that any alcoholic would have a chance to join this program and find themselves a sober life. That’s why they changed the language in the Steps from “God” to a “Power greater than ourselves”, a “Higher Power”, and the “God of Our Understanding”. They wanted to insure that everyone had a chance to get sober, no matter what they believed or didn’t. As long as they were willing to live a spiritual way of life, no matter what they thought that was. It’s up to the individual whatever makes sense to them.
The original influence on what became this program was a religious one. The Oxford Movement. But, when Bill and Dr. Bob broke off with this group, religion of any sort no longer had influence on what this group did, except to find a spiritual way of life, as did the man in the chapter There Is A Solution. I certainly know many different individuals who have all kinds of beliefs and practices, which work for them, as long as they are willing to put the Steps of this program into action.
Some I know actually use this program as their Higher Power. Others have “no belief”, but still are willing to pray and meditate in their own way, and to continue to practice these spiritual principles in all their affairs. We can see that when they reach out to the new man or woman and help them find their sobriety in here.
None of us are in here to teach anyone what they should or shouldn’t believe. Like the BB tells us we are to leave that up to whatever makes sense to them. Bill W. made a huge mistake early on by trying to get others to believe what he did and drove many of them back out of sobriety in this program. He regretted that and tried to make sure that no one else made the mistake he did.
For myself individually, when I’m describing my life in here, I refer to a Higher Power and the God of my understanding. Sometimes a Power greater than myself. Other than that I go no further. Not my business or anyone’s. Just describing how my spiritual life works in here. And that’s as far as any of us should ever go. I don’t need to explain how I got to where I got. I shouldn’t. Just is what it is.
Anyway I love this program and what I have learned in here. And once again, here I am thinking about what I need to think about. That I’m here to stay sober this day. Not to go any further into the future than where I’m sitting or standing at this moment. And the only reason for going into the past is to take care of the Steps, especially the Twelfth, where I tell someone what it is that makes me similar to who they are. An alcoholic.
Anyway I’m glad I picked up the BB tonight and read some of it to remind me of why I am here and how this program has worked for me. And work it has. Amazing. I have to thank my Higher Power, and as always, my old sponsor and those old timers I once knew, my friends, and everyone else in here who have helped me along the way. Again, thanks.