More stuff from the Twelfth Tradition . . .
I find it intriguing that there are a couple of different takes on anonymity. The first sentence in this Tradition characterizes the spiritual substance of anonymity as sacrifice. We're reminded that we need to shitcan our personal desires and instead concentrate on the common good. Then, a bit later, in a discussion about personal anonymity and how protective we are of each member's right to keep their membership in Alcoholic Anonymous confidential, we're told that this is our first lesson in the practical application of anonymity. After all, some of us work at jobs where the mention of addiction and alcoholism might be harmful: medical people, law enforcement, the legal profession, your bus driver or airplane pilot. No one wants to hear his brain surgeon say right before the anaesthesia takes effect: "Hey, guess what? I got sober yesterday!"
Conscience: An inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.
Here's a reminder of the democracy that is Alcoholics Anonymous from Tradition Two: "For our group purpose there is but none ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express in our group conscience." Whenever I find myself on the losing end of any kind of vote or decision and whenever I find myself on the minority side I need to remember that sometimes my ideas, my vision, isn't held by most people and when I'm in the majority I would do well to treat those who are not going to get their way with kindness and humility. I mention often my appalling record in the group conscience procedure. I have voted for the losing side almost exclusively and I have done this many, many times over the course of many, many years, yet Alcoholics Anonymous continues to exist and has as good a track record in saving people from destruction as any method yet tried. And they didn't do it my way!
Incredible.
No comments:
Post a Comment