📢A.A. Part Two: Reader Feedback

“Let justice roll down like waters.”

Amos 5:24

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

Last week’s email about A.A. generated a LOT of responses.

I read every email that comes in and try to each one. Always grateful for your thoughts and engagement.

The responses I received underscore an important point, the experiences people have with A.A. are just as diverse as the experiences people have with attending church.

Some people have experienced a life-giving community of hope and acceptance; others alienation and judgement.

The best research we have shows participation in the program is effective at helping people obtain and sustain abstinence. But research also suggests that what is driving the positive change is not the substance of the 12-Steps, but the existence of a supportive community of shared practical wisdom.

This reminds me of the teachings of Jesus. “The law” is not the point. It isn’t where change and transformation happen.

When Jesus was criticized for breaking the Sabbath rules, he argued that God did not make us for the Sabbath but the Sabbath is for us. We weren’t created to serve the 12-Steps, the 12-Steps were created as one way to serve us in our path to growth.

It’s easy to get the two flipped in Christianity and in the recovery community.

Knowing the difference requires a lot of reflection and discernment. There are many teachings of scripture that require wisdom and insight of if or when they should apply.

At certain times in my life, I’ve taken great hope in my belief that “God works all things together for good.” I’ve also had a few times amid loss where I’ve heard those words as a vague Christian platitude that ignores the reality of my pain.

I love Father Richard Rohr’s Breathing Underwater and benefitted greatly from exploring my powerlessness and the connection of that lesson to the Christian mystical tradition.

But when it came to my own struggle with an opioid use disorder, I didn’t need to hear that I was powerless over my addiction.

What I needed was some motivational enhancement therapy and the lessons of cognitive behavioral therapy. These two approaches helped me develop concrete strategies for identifying my cravings and reducing my use over time.

We humans are a complex bunch. What is true for one of us might not be true for the next. And sometimes what is true at one period in our lives won’t be true in another.

Thanks again to all who responded and hope you enjoy the variety of perspectives we’ve included the feedback below.

Keep the faith,

Timothy McMahan King

Senior Fellow, Clergy for a New Drug Policy