Approaching God

At long last I saw, I felt, I believed. Scales of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A new world came into view.

Page: 46

Step we are on: Step Two

Chapter: "We Agnostics"

Subject: Belief, Willingness, Comprehending God, Prejudice

Good morning. Laying aside prejudices is the subject.

Do you recall back in "Bill's Story," when Bill W was still a little screwy, confused on the God issue and hadn't yet "come to believe"?

It was a time where for him concepts like Creative Intelligence, Universal Mind or Spirit of Nature all felt fine. But he is about to get beyond these. He has to drop those concepts, and when he does. . . well, let's see Who he discovers:

• Have we displayed our agnostic disposition in thought and behaviors?

Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences.

AGAIN. "WE" are the agnostics. It is US!

• What do we want to hurry and do?

Let us make haste to reassure you.

• What happens when we are able to lay aside our prejudices and become willing?

We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves,

It is a Power greater than ourselves. How do we know that we are NOT God? Because we cannot be greater than ourselves. We can only be ourselves. 

This puts a damper on the creeping Pantheism and New Thought spiritualism and non-duality we experience in the AA fellowship, doesn't it?  

• This happens even though what?

we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, 

• And what do we call that Power? 

which is God.

Finally His identity is stated. God is the name of the Higher Power. So much for the Almighty Light-bulb or Group of Drunks. (Can you imaging asking a Group of Drunks to remove your shortcomings or supply you with intuition?) Once Bill "came to believe" he was able to grow beyond his original prejudices and reject ideas he once could accept. Ideas like Creative Intelligence, Universal Mind or Spirit of Nature were good enough to start with, but now he could discard those and instead accept God - and so can we when we if we "come to believe" in Him. Like Bill did.

God - the one Supreme and Absolute Being, the ultimate source of the universe.~ The Winston Simplified Dictionary Encyclopedic Edition (1938)

We do have a comprehension of God. It is just not a complete comprehension. There is no need to feign total ignorance on the subject of God. God does, after all, reveal some of Himself to us.

• What were we relieved to learn?

Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God.

Is it even any of our business?

• If we are only able to pretend there is a Higher Power, what is promised?

Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him.

Our concept gets more and more ‘adequate’ as growth continues. For now, even inadequacy will do just nicely. A little understanding goes a LONG way.

TOMORROW:

• What two things will we possess as soon as we are able to admit there just might be a Higher Power?
• Provided we do what?
• Is it easy to find God?
• We have found the “Realm of the Spirit” to be what?
• Who may benefit from it?

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com