There is a Solution (Continued)
 
J: (Appendix II p. 569, par. 1, in the third edition) Right on this page he has told us about the Power. He said that we were powerless already in the first chapter and The Doctor's Opinion. On this page he tells us--we believe he's writing out the prescription. To overcome this powerlessness, we believe the power of the fellowship and the Power of the spiritual experience will overcome one person's powerlessness over alcohol. These are the two elements. The fellowship, yes, we have to have the fellowship, but the real Power is in
the spiritual experience, which is the common solution to alcoholism.
C: This is the first great waning in the Big Book, "Alcoholics Anonymous." When he makes the statement that: (p. 17, par. 2-3) 'The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in
the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined.'
'The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.' (Bill is) Warning us that even though the fellowship is a powerful thing, that that by itself is not enough. We will also need the Power which comes from the solution--common solution.
I think one of the greatest tragedies in the world today, is we've got literally millions of people coming to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, and who are doing nothing but enjoying the fellowship. They're doing nothing about the common solution. Remember, Dr. Silkworth told us we would need to change. He said we would need a psychic change. (p. xxvii, par. 1-2) The fellowship will not bring that about. The psychic change is brought about through the common solution. There's where we change our mental attitudes and outlook upon life. (p. 84, par. 1)
There's where we learn to live and be sober and peaceful and happy and serene at the same time. I see people coming to A. A. and doing nothing but the fellowship, and they don't change. They stay afraid. They stay angry. They stay irritated. They stay restless and discontented. The same old shame, fear, guilt, and remorse keeps eating them up, and after a while they disappear. Any you say, where did John go? Well, haven't you heard, John's back out there drinking again. Or John got killed in a car wreck last Saturday night. Or John shot himself last week.
I think again, this is the responsibility of us older members to make this clear to every newcomer that walks in the door of a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous that there's two parts to the solution. One is this tremendous fellowship, and it is great. I don't think we could survive without it. But the other is the common solution, the vital spiritual experience which will be brought about 'by the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. ' (p. 25, par. 2)
Joe and I didn't really realize this, how important this page was until the day we did the first Big Book study in Lawton, Oklahoma. Just prior to, Lawton, Oklahoma; I had some trouble with my ticker. We weren't sure if we were going to get to go. I remember Joe called me, and he said, Charlie, what do you think, are we going to go Lawton. And I said, Joe, we got to go. You know, we've committed ourselves, and we
need to go.
He said, well, why don't I bring my car, and I'll drive to your house. Then you can ride, and I'll do all the driving, and you can rest. And I said, great, that'll be fine. Now, Joe drives from Little Rock, Arkansas to where I live in Maysville, Arkansas, two hundred and twenty-five miles. We get in Joe's car and we start toward Tulsa,
Oklahoma. You can tell by looking at us that we're people that normally would not mix. (laughter) After all, he's bald-headed, and I'm not. (laughter)
On the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma, we we're going to pick up another guy, the first fellow that I asked to sit in on us. He was going to meet us in the parking lot of the C Hotel, Tulsa, Oklahoma. His name is Tony, last name is V. We picked Tony up. We get--all three--get in the car, and we're heading down the Turner Turnpike to Oklahoma City. Now, here's the black guy doing the driving. The Mexican, he's sitting over here riding shotgun. And the honky lying in the back seat, sound asleep. (laughter)
We got to Lawton, Oklahoma. We're doing the Big Book study, and we did ALA. this page. Just as Joe finished up, with what he just finished up, I looked on the front row. The whole front row was filled with Indians from the Anadarko Indian Reservation. That day we really realized what Bill's saying to us. We are people who normally would not mix with each other at all. We are so varied in our backgrounds.
The thing that binds us together, and the thing we have in common, and we must never forget this, is our fellowship that comes from the disease of alcoholism, our escape from the common disaster. It's so strong and so important. We love it so much, and we tend to forget that that's only part of the powerful cement. That's only one element. The other element - lies in the common solution.
About a year ago, Barbara and I, my wife, fortunately were invited to go on a cruise. We we're allowed to be speakers on that cruise. That Saturday we spoke, then that night we were invited to the Captain's table. We were setting there at the Captain's table eating dinner. All of a sudden, I just busted out laughing. Everybody looked at me and said, what's the matter with you?
I said, by God I finally made it from the steerage to the Captain's table. (laughter) It was quite an experience for me. The Captain explained the ship, and he said, is there anything you want to see. I said, yeah, I want to go down to the steerage section. The next day he got a member of the crew to take me down and look at the steerage section. Now, that was so important in my life. This thing that we have
escaped from that common peril. The rest of this chapter is going to be devoted to these two things as being the solution.
The first half of this chapter is going to talk about we people who make up this fellowship. It's going to talk about the alcoholic. It's going to explain to us why the fellowship alone is not enough. The last half of the chapter then will explain to us what the actual solution is. The book never leaves us hanging anywhere. It never makes a statement that it does not further explain.
He's going to show us in the first half of this chapter why we must have the solution which is in the last half of this chapter. I think we ought to take a ten minute break, and then we'll jump right on in with the solution.
|
Quick Links
|
