What is the Main Thing?

One of the main things I appreciated about AA in my early days was the Traditions. Their primary purpose was to stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety. In the early days, they had to work thru the guardrails to their focus. On the whole, they did that well and held to it. Even in my early days, I was impressed with their wisdom. And their slogans helped keep the main thing the main thing. AA’s main thing was staying sober and helping others do the same thing. That was their main thing!

In later years I discovered or the Lord discovered for me Biblical Christianity. Centuries had blurred the main thing. When I came around I found a whole new world. But the world wasn’t as simple as AA. There certainly was not a slogan like ‘Keep it Simple Stupid! The church had had two centuries to complicate the thing. The main thing was lost in the controversy. I have been ‘saved’ for 45 years. I can tell you where I stand on certain key issues. And these issues are tearing apart whole denominations. We have gotten so lost we think our political views are our Christian views.

For recovery people, one look at us leaves them with a why bother with them attitude. As a crowd, we faith troops can not seem to agree on anything.

Let me explain to the recovery people for Christians nothing is simple.

Let’s look at some garden variety issues. To recovery people gay rights stuff Is simple. Start a gay meeting and don’t drink. Maybe no PDA at meetings. Maybe. Live and let live! Easy simple. Different strokes for different folks. Done and finished.

For church people ie bible folk this gets complicated. The awkward fact is the biblical stand on gay stuff is hard and tough. So the main attack on the biblical opinion about Gay stuff is an attack on textual accuracy. ie the bible didn’t really say what it said.

For recovery folks, they are not burdened by this bible issue. Modern recovery can form their theology as is convenient. Recovery is a new thing in its present form. Bible as a theological doctrine has a history like human history. The bible has proved its staying power for thousands of years like for human recorded history.

So recovery has an advantage they are not burdened by the facts. Bible people are held hostage by a long record of reliability. AA is trying to catch up with their Chapter five How it Works thing. They are very religious. But a less than a century compares poorly to human history. Also, AA was born on bible genes.

So recovery people have to give Faith people the right to be literal with the bible. Holiness is a thing! Jesus is a living presence.

That is the main thing for Faith folks. God rules!

For Recovery folks, the main thing is don’t do that thing!

Again, sort of the same, but different