At any rate, AA was inspired by the conversion of Ebby Thatcher, an old friend of Bill Wilson’s who had taken steps in the Oxford Group, a Christian organization founded by Frank Buchman, a Lutheran minister, after his own conversion in some chapel in Keswick, England. AA itself was a Christian program based on the Biblical principles of love, faith, kindness, service and humility, among others. Needless to say, right off the bat, and steadily through the last century, the language has been watered down to remove God, and more specifically Christ, from the equation. 

     This is actually a macro cultural shift to rid God and Christ himself from every aspect of American life and duty. When you swear an oath these days, you need not utter the word God. Children in school are being ridiculed, mocked, criticized and suspended for praying on campus, reading the Bible, and starting Christian social groups. My mom left a postcard at some artsy rehab place in the people’s republic of Cambridge and I got a call from some woman asking me to come speak to the addicts there. She said, “But if this is some Christian thing, we can’t have that… we’re just looking for good AA people.” Yup. That’s what she said. And this is why you have lunatics out there calling me a devil worshipper, even though I am a Christian and love God. 

     The twelve steps of AA are a spiritual program given to us by our Lord. But based on some of the nonsense out there today, I can see how some of these recent assumptions may have arisen, despite the complete lack of humanity in the comments. The point is that we should get over the fact that we think we know so much. Who are we, the cesspool that is the human race, to pass judgment on anyone or anything?

     Bottom line, the twelve steps are a solution for drug and alcohol addiction. We don’t need to get all bent out of shape about the details when the children of heartbroken parents are dying. And the gist of this solution is simply being a good person. And guess what? It works. When you are a good person, you can feel good about yourself and proud of who you have become. In fact, right and moral action has the power to turn your whole world around. So if you are trying to help an addict out there or you are an addict, stop fooling yourself about curing your addiction with some science project. You will never make it without changing who you are and becoming a better person.

     I remain recovered today because I am strong in who I am, because I can look at myself, others, and the world in the eyes, because I am proud of who I’ve become, and because I can sleep at night with a clear conscience. Trust me, that’s something that suboxone and talk therapy and other secular remedies can’t give you. When you are doing the right thing, you have no reason to use because you have nothing bringing you down, no heap of guilt and unfinished business to haul around.

     All that said, we can only maintain what God has done for us. We addicts cannot on our own power lift our obsession and save ourselves. We cannot take credit for restoring ourselves. That is the work of our Creator.
  
     He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)
 
     P.S. The book is going well, although it will take a while to edit because I refuse to put stuff out there unless it’s good. I also don’t have that much time anymore to write, so I’m hoping the universe will bring me some sort of literary agent so I can continue writing professionally. Finally, the treatment center is sorting itself out and I expect it to be underway soon. Will continue to update on all concerns.