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peated afhrmation on the part of so areas? Why can’t we make other many AAs that the Higher Power is groups commit themselves to this way “God as we understand Him,” makes of life?” God, not a theological abstraction, not Well, the answer is, other people an ecclesiastical affirmation, but a real do. The influence of the AA and the -nay, the most real-force in the life AA’s family is much wider than most

a Rabbi of the AA member. How much the world needs the of us imagine. I think the group is wise to confine humility and lack of resentments itself to its own specific problem; and which are part of the fabric of the AA yet the Steps, the slogans, and the

SPEAKS program. We’ve heard a lot about the serenity prayer can well serve as a atom bomb and atomic energy for guide and touchstone for many who peacetime use. I wish we could con- are drunk with power, drunk with ego, ceive of some form of energy called drunk with self-pity, drunk with idolthe “love bomb” or the “God bomb” atry of things, though not necessarily By Rabbi Herbert I . Bloom and use its far-reaching chain reaction drunk with alcohol. to help our sick world. In a way, I There are comparatively few Jewish feel that that’s what Alcoholics Anon- alcoholics; and so the problem which NOTICED, in recent issues of The ings of AA. And so, for years now, ymous is really doing. The more peo- faces a rabbi in the ordinary congre- 1non-alcoholic ~rdpvitie, appraisals of AA by I have been attending open meetings clergymen of various weekly and watching this great moveple live and love God as they under- gation is not acute. But the problem stand Him, the more likely we all are of materialism, selfishness, arrogance, faiths. I want to add my word to this ment touch the lives of sick alcoholics to be freed from fear, hate, greed, maladjustment and spiritual loneliness series. and, indirectly, the lives of those in dishonesty and power lust. There are faces us all. It wouid profit many of My experience with AA began intimate contact with them. I have so few of us in the world in general us to learn by watching-others live the when, as a prison chaplain in New learned much about human beings and who do anything without thoughts of AA program. Abnormality and scrcw- York State, I visited an AA meeting. much about the workings of the Di- personal aggrandizement, that to think ballism are not confined to alcoholics; O n leaving, I said to my wife, “Here vine in Alcoholics Anonymous. I am of thousands of human beings striving they are part of our world. One of is religion at work.” The sense of fully aware that AA insists that it is to be servants of “the good, the true the best remedies I know is AA. A mutuality, democracy and service to not a religion; and in the sense that it and the beautiful,” servers of other committed and successful AA worker is not a creed, one must fully concur. people to help the people and them- brings to his own religion a quality one’s fellow man, the poignant con- It may not be a religion, but it is an selves, is a wonderful phenomenon in of the reality of the spirit which ought viction that God operates unmistakexpression of religion. Perhaps it is a sick world. to be more prevalent. ably in the lives of all of us and that each of us in some measure lives to be better to say what we hear at AA meet- The non-alcoholic is tempted to be As a non-alcoholic, there are certain His instrument and to fulfill His will, ings: it is an expression of the spiri- impatient with the AA member who points which sometimes seem to me is a beautiful expression of the spiri- tual. insists, and rightly, that his problem less vivid in our minds than they tual which is not always found in the I know full well that there are those is the problem of alcohol and that his should be. All of us know that much same measure in the churches and the who gain s o b r i e t p a t first, at least- job is to keep sober and to do so by of the success of the alcoholic’s prosynagogues. from the belief that the Higher Power practicing the program, part of which gram depends upon us; and yet it Afterward, an alcoholic member of is the sponsor of the group or the is to help other sick alcoholics. W e takes us a while to realize that we too my household made it imperative that persistent example of the fellow alco- non-alcoholics say to ourselves, “Why must try to live by the program if we 1 learn at firsthand more of the work- holic, or anything else; but the re- can’t the program spread to other are to understand the development of

the personality of the sobering or sober around AA, I’ve learned that one can’t alcoholic. offer prescriptions for others; but one Because of the sometimes remark- of the things I find that has been very able recovery of our alcoholic dear helpful is the simple old fashioned one, we expect personality transforma- idea of trust. What’s the use of locktions on his part which we ourselves ing bottles away from alcoholics? have not effected. Some of us expect There’s a store around the corner. In the alcoholic to absorb the program my experience, whatever liquor is in like a pill and are surprised that he is my house is free for the taking if the sometimes irritable, irresponsible and alcoholic wants to take it; and if he more aware of his pains and conflicts or she does, all the keys in the world than he was when accorded the re- won’t stop the drinking. Of course, course of alcoholic escape. We read some people may not be able to have the Steps and are pleased with the liquor under their noses, but I’ve been thought that our partner or relative or told by alcoholics who really are makfriend is going to explore his char- ing a go of the program that they acter defects; but we often make the don’t want to be wrapped in cotton grave error of trying to take someone batting. else’s moral inventory, while we fail My alcoholic friends tell me that to take our own. It is not only the one of the great forces toward their alcoholic who requires character and sobriety and quality of living is the personality development. It is not fair example they find in AA. If we really for us to assume that we hover around will listen and look at the type of the rim of perfection while our sick service given by committed AA memalcoholic flirts with the depths of de- bers, we non-alcoholics may have an pravity. We may tell ourselves, as eloquent example in many avenues of we certainly should, that alcoholism is human service and selfhood. It’s not not a moral problem, but a disease. easy for a clergyman, of whatever de- Yet many of us are prone to sit in nomination, with a rather bloated ego judgment, perhaps no longer upon the and maybe just a bit of Jehovah comdrinking of our sick one but upon the plex, to accept the truth that people life and actions. outside the pattern of his accepted Revelations are rare, even in AA. creed can do more to sober the alco- Some of our AA friends may have had holic and spiritualize his life than he “white flashes” or similar experiences; can. For me, at least, it’s a bitter pill but the rank and file are like most to swallow. I only hope that God will other people: their greatest miracle continue to cut me down to size and is the ability to keep an open mind, give me enough thankfulness to realsee themselves with a fair degree of ize that I must live by His will for honesty, and actually want and effect me. I’ve learned a lot from AA and change of character. Having been from AAs.