Spiritual Awakening is Only A Beginning

Page: 47

Step we are on: Step Two

Chapter: "We Agnostics"

Subject: Belief, Willingness, Spiritual Growth

Good morning. Hopefully  everyone is having a Merry Christmas season. (Chanukah is coming in a few days too.) Today we are discovering  that the co-authors recognized the distinction between the commencement of spiritual contact and continued spiritual growth through conscious contact with God.

We are now on page 47

• When we speak of God, whose concept of Him are we talking about?

When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God.

• How about other spiritual ideas in this Book?

This applies, too, to other spiritual expressions which you find in this book.

• What should we not do?

Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you.

Prejudice - 1. Hasty, premature judgement 2. a bias, favorable or unfavorable ~  The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938


Today 'prejudice' usually refers only to negative conclusions. 'Prejudice' in 1938 allowed more for discernment that fell either for or against. It only refered to whether or not an opinion was reached with a full hearing or not.

• Is there more needed at this early stage?

At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. 

• Do we stay in this commencement phase?

Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which then seemed entirely out of reach.  

• What do we call that?

That was growth, but if we wished to grow, we had to begin somewhere.

Remember what Bill W said about his own Step Two experience, back in Brooklyn, with Ebby T. He said, "It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point." (12:3)

Some thoughtful questions: Do we we remain at this starting line - or do we make spiritual  progress? Is is OK to acknowledge that some are further along the road than others? Perhaps further more spiritually progressed than we are? Does that offend us? And what about those who are still behind us? Do we look down our nose at them; or do we extend love, tolerance and patience?

Peace and Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com