Oct 29, 2006 17:41
AA meetings are something that you can't understand until you attend.
And the beauty of an "Open meeting" is that you don't even have to be an alcoholic to attend.
So I went with 3 other classmates as part of the requirements for Mental Health Nursing, on weekday about a month ago.
The AA members are so honest with themselves and with everyone present. The word that comes to mind is "awe" because it seems uncommon for a group of strangers to be able to not only share, but to be honest in a way that not often experienced outside of very close friendships or therapy sessions of one-to-one...
and most of those people there were not quote "christians"....but they were people who acknowledged they had a problem, that they could not fix it themselves and that they needed a power outside of themselves, that is greater than them to enable them to maintain sobriety.
It was real life. In the trenches. And it refreshed me and humbled me to see how honest these fellow addicts could support and hold to accountability their own, when the general sense of "christianity" is that we are failing at making disciples and having meaningful small groups....
I encourage you to drop by an open meeting of AA or Al-Anon for familiy members if you get the chance.
It broadens your perspectives and paradigm.
reflections