Do Be Do

"Psychologists are turning to religion because just knowing about ourselves is not enough.  We need the added dimension of faith in a power outside of ourselves on which we can rely.  And clergymen and rabbis are turning to psychology because faith is an act of the mind and will.  Religion must be presented in psychological terms to some extent in order to satisfy the modern person."

"Of necessity there will have to be discussion of matters medical, psychiatric, social, and religious.  We are aware that these matters are, from their very nature, controversial.  Nothing would please us so much as to write a book which would contain no basis for contention or argument."  Big Book, "There Is A Solution," P. 19

The founders must have spent a couple of hours bent over laughing uncontrollably, tears streaming down their faces, when they put these words down.  If you try to change the brand of coffee used at a meeting there will be much swearing and hard resentments, and a couple of bare-knuckled fistfights.  I can see members stiffen noticeably if someone says Jesus or Muhammad or The Buddha.  I hear intractable people maintain that any kind of medication, even those prescribed by a physician and given to people with a serious mental illness, disqualifies that person from sobriety.  So this is why we don't identify as a member of a particular religion or political party, we don't opine on gun control or abortion, we don't let any of these outside issues in.  We're amazed that this whole wonderful movement doesn't spin out of control and crash into the sun when we stay away from controversy - we can only imagine how short-lived A.A. would have been if we had been less strict.

Be:  To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.  (Ed. Note: I really like that the definition uses "real existence."  I assume this is to differentiate from fake existence.)

Do:  To perform the tasks or actions associated with (something).  (Ed. Note:  I really like that they add "something" to the definition.  Do something!  Do anything!  Just do it!)

"Refilling with the spirit is something you need every day.  For this refilling with the spirit, you need these times of quiet communion, away, alone, without noise, without activity."

Writing about my struggles with slowing down and waiting is going to be an eternal task.  It is deeply satisfying and deeply frustrating to go slow.  It feels like I'm not accomplishing anything.  I feel better when I go from here to there or when I can see tangible results of my efforts, like a poorly stained cedar deck. And this is even when the meditation, the sitting, the being, produces such great results.  I feel better even when I think I've done a shitty job of it.