Bill Wilson’s Gospel
Through my years in ministry, I heard people testify again and again about how they grew up in church, attended their whole lives, but later learned the meaning of the good news from AA or some other 12-step group.
Check out this insightful piece by David Brooks on “Bill Wilson’s Gospel.” Here’s a sample:
The first implication of Koerner’s essay is that we should get used to the idea that we will fail most of the time. Alcoholics Anonymous has stood the test of time. There are millions of people who fervently believed that its 12-step process saved their lives. Yet the majority, even a vast majority, of the people who enroll in the program do not succeed in it. People are idiosyncratic. There is no single program that successfully transforms most people most of the time.
The second implication is that we should get over the notion that we will someday crack the behavior code — that we will someday find a scientific method that will allow us to predict behavior and design reliable social programs. As Koerner notes, A.A. has been the subject of thousands of studies. Yet “no one has yet satisfactorily explained why some succeed in A.A. while others don’t, or even what percentage of alcoholics who try the steps will eventually become sober as a result.”
Each member of an A.A. group is distinct. Each group is distinct. Each moment is distinct. There is simply no way for social scientists to reduce this kind of complexity into equations and formula that can be replicated one place after another.
Nonetheless, we don’t have to be fatalistic about things. It is possible to design programs that will help some people some of the time. A.A. embodies some shrewd insights into human psychology.
In a culture that generally celebrates empowerment and self-esteem, A.A. begins with disempowerment. The goal is to get people to gain control over their lives, but it all begins with an act of surrender and an admission of weakness.
In a culture that thinks of itself as individualistic, A.A. relies on fellowship. The general idea is that people aren’t really captains of their own ship. Successful members become deeply intertwined with one another — learning, sharing, suffering and mentoring one another. Individual repair is a social effort.
“In a culture that generally celebrates empowerment and self-esteem, A.A. begins with disempowerment. The goal is to get people to gain control over their lives, but it all begins with an act of surrender and an admission of weakness.”
Seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But we were called to be intertwined in each other’s lives. This is Jesus’ plan in the Body of Christ. There is no other way to help each other and ourselves if not for the daily involvement to know when one is hurting or struggling. For one who is (and who isn’t) there is such relief being around others in the same boat. I grew up in an independent household and discovered at 19 I was ‘missing the boat’ not being involved with others. Of course, it was also the mindset of the times…the 70s and looking out for number 1. A shallow, hollow island of an existence in the long run. My experience with folks in AA is a 50/50 outcome. The success stories are of those who hearts were open because there was no other way to a life of hope. A place like AA fosters acceptance and ultimately can bring about a soft heart where the real work for a new life begins. ~ blessings.
We should get used to the idea that we will fail.
If churches would learn that one lesson without giving up the quest for Spirit-produced holiness they would truly begin transforming lives. But as long as we are SHOCKED!! at a person’s failures, we encourage all to hide in a very protected hole.
The whole quote is powerful, but that last paragraph is off the charts! Thanks for posting this. DU
I agree, David and would add that the last sentence knocked it out into space.
“Individual repair is a social effort.”
Thank you, Mike, thank you!!
*chuckle* On a totally unrelated note, qb knew there was a reason to love Tony LaRussa and the Redbirds. Here it is.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/30/cardinals-manager-backs-arizona-immigration-law-welcomes-tea-partiers/
Cardinals’ newest fan qb
Welcome to Redbird Nation, qb. If you want to enjoy the celebration, though, look at The Greatest Player in Baseball’s output for the night: 2 HR and 1 Double. That’ll last past his lawyer-manager’s politics.
Incidentally, and with apologies for hijacking a totally unrelated blog post for this, Perini Ranch was OFF the BLOODY CHARTS! I immediately posted, from our table at the Ranch to Facebook, a short iPhone video of an effortless three-stroke slice through an ethereally medium rare 8 oz. filet…along with the requisite photos of the armadillo and the hominy con chile verde.
Inoculated against any future temptation to atheism, I am
qb
I have a cousin who grew up in an extremely conservative home and CoC. She said it wasn’t until she got into A.A. at the age of 30 that she was presented with an image of God that didn’t scare the crap out of her. A.A. “took” with her — she hasn’t had a drink in 20-something years.
The Greatest Player in Baseball (and I won’t actually argue that point) was only the second-greatest in June–Josh Hamilton was off the charts. And Bad Vlad had a Pujols-like night last night.
Thanks for the post, Mike. I wish the following article from Conversations Journal (which I HIGHLY recommend, by the way) was available in its entirety online for free, but here is a sample of it. The article by Jan Johnson is entitled “Real People, Real Programs, Real Change: What Twelve Step Has To Say About Transformation (And Why We Should Care)”
http://conversationsjournal.com/2010/04/real-people-real-programs-real-change/
Also, I remember how striking it was when I read in Brennan Manning’s “The Ragamuffin Gospel” that for all his years of theological training and experience, it was not until he attended AA that he experienced real grace from other people.