By The Rev. Cameron Randle, Rector
Each time I revisit the Twelve Steps
of Alcoholics Anonymous, I become reacquainted with the power behind
those words and phrases. The rare combo platter of honesty and
vulnerability, the willingness to acknowledge failure and limitations,
the quiet but fierce and determined resolve to push back against
self-aggrandizement, all rise up to flood my sensibilities with an
undeniable ring of multi-layered truth. And I’m not even an alcoholic.
Especially impactful is Step #3, in which folks on the recovery trail
acknowledge having “made a decision to turn our will and our lives over
to the care of God as we understood Him.” That admission is premised
upon affirmative action. Such a commitment comes about through a
self-initiative moving in the polar opposite direction from the familiar
self-centric perspective pervading most contemporary thought. The
decision to abdicate, to proactively relinquish centrality, and to
redirect submission of our wills to a divine imperative, is both
redemptive and transformational. It is also reflective of a deeply
relational stance toward the divine, toward “God as we understand
Him.” Too, it points us back toward The 12 Steps as a superlative
spiritual standard for all Christians, whether in recovery or not.
Ashley Cleveland’s view of God has
broadened and changed over the years. Her experience as a creative woman
in recovery from alcoholism and addiction has both shaped her knowledge
of God and been shaped
by
her knowledge of God. “My understanding of God was that he was fairly
distant and that he was also extremely performance-oriented,” she says
of her former impressions. Over the years, she came to know God as a
living presence who loves her and knows her by name. She now understands
God as the ultimate source of unconditional love, which is a key
ingredient in recovery. She speaks comfortably about “surrendering to
the mystery of your path” and learning to accept the difference between
the life we may have once envisioned versus the life we’ve come to know
as our own.
At the third Sunday in Advent, we
celebrate the irrepressible reality of hope. Our lives are enriched and
our faith strengthened when we once again embrace God’s gift of
unconditional love and comprehensive, irreversible acceptance. Author
Gerald May has written, “I believe that humankind’s ongoing struggle
with addiction is preparing the ground of perfect love.” Please take the
opportunity to spend time with 3 x Grammy-winner Ashley Cleveland at
ESC this Saturday evening and Sunday morning, as we explore together
what it means to prepare the ground of perfect love. Along the way,
we’re likely to learn more about the challenges, obstacles and
disappointments inherent in contending with addiction and alcoholism. At
the same time, we are also sure to be reminded of our status as
recipients of divine hope, especially when we choose to turn both our
will and our life over to the care of our creator.
