from left: Dr. Bob Smith, Bill Wilson
This past weekend (May 11-12) represents the the anniversary of a very special spiritual event that took place on those days in 1935. An event that replays our basic faith journey story - found, among other places, in Acts 16:16-34:
- From Security From Want
- To Freedom From Want
- To Freedom From Fear
- To Freedom To Serve
Akron, Ohio. Where the day
before, Bill – visiting from New York City – found himself on the losing end of
a big business deal he had forged in the midst of the Great Depression, no less. Bitterly discouraged, Bill
found himself in a strange place, discredited and almost broke. He could not
pay his hotel bill; he hadn’t even the train fare to return to his home. No
Security From Want had he.
But Bill had one thing going
for him. Once a hopeless alcoholic, he had been sober for about six months. And
he had discovered that he had remained sober only because he had consistently
reached out to others to help them get sober, as well. He had remained sober,
in other words, when he had practiced the Freedom To Serve. Nothing else had
worked; nothing else would work.
And so Bill’s moment of
reckoning came that May 11th Saturday. On the one end of the hotel
lobby stood a doorway into a bar. Ah, companionship and release – and perhaps
security, a way to get out from under his hotel bill! Here's Freedom From Want, at least -- forget about Freedom From the Fear that he had, and would only increase if he took that option! On the other end of the
lobby stood a glass-covered directory of local churches … and a pay phone.
When Freedom From Want beckoned, Bill chose the Freedom From Fear route. He chose the pay phone.
Surely he could call a local clergy, and find another alcoholic he could
possibly help. Even if he couldn’t, reaching out would keep him sober.
Bill connected with a clergy
who connected him with a parishioner who connected him the very next day with
one of the town drunks: a shaky-sober surgeon whose name was Bob. And on that
Mothers’ Day 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous was born.
One sober drunk talking with
another sobering drunk. Not to provide Security From Want – not primarily,
anyway. But one sober drunk talking with another sobering drunk to provide
freedom from by practicing the Freedom To Serve.
For one year now, every day
close to 200 sober alcoholics walk through the Del Ray Club doors on our
church's property. Beginning with several dozen at 6:45 am – every single day. Why are their
meetings so popular? What is their secret? One alcoholic shares with another,
practicing the freedom to serve to be free from … well, being served!
Much like one parishioner serving another. Perhaps we do that a bit during our Joys and
Concerns. We do it even better when we serve Christ in the community alongside
of one another.
Security from want: Is that
the reason we come to Worship? If so: great. But we cannot stop there.
Freedom from want? That’s a good thing, too.
But we cannot stop there.
Freedom from fear? That’s even better. But we
cannot stop there.
We are freed from – the saving – in being
free for – the serving.
And when we serve one another
together, as one – when, per the Acts scripture, the jail doors of our lives are flung open, and food is
set before us – when poor come together with rich, and joy is in the air …
Isn’t this the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed?
Isn’t this is the reason his resurrection is
ours?
