There should be agreement on the content of this blog post. But really there is a world of difference.
Let us agree on some facts, a challenge these days. For recovery folks, diversity is a strength. Odd is not disqualifying from being in the know crowd. Weird is is normal. In the church weird is abnormal. Considering the church is supposed to be a hospital for the sinner this is short-sighted. I think the real game on the faith side is weird is ok for those people who are thought of as the mission field, but for the real deal saints, they need to pose as saints. The crazy part is some are real deal saints. I have known many who are heaven ready.
Now to my story, I know some old AA friends who read this blog who will know a name. I got sober with him and some others. I was 14 years younger than M. M was a secular Jew which meant little to me. M was a lawyer and a government employer who made twice or more than my salary. But we got sober together. M was smart, broken, personable, and drive you mad frustrating. I got married and M was my best man. Everyone was worried, but he turned in a good performance.
Jesus had come along and swallowed me whole. The only relationships that survived the marriage were my family and only because I refused to be pushed away from my family, But I lost track of the AA troops including M. Fast forward six years the marriage had two kids and was a disaster. Somehow I reconnected with M. I had no shrink and most church folks were not much of a help. Somehow M and I started talking on the phone. That was the one place I could process without banging up against an agenda. M must have put in a couple of hours a night for weeks. He knew me and told me the obvious. There was zero chance anyone in the church would have done that. M was a wreck, but he was a life-saving friend.
Years later M called me late in the evening before he was due to have major surgery for cancer. He was justifiably terrified the surgery was going to remove the major part of his guts and put in new stuff. I asked if he wanted me to pray, He did. M had to his daughters’ horror asked Jesus into his life recently. On this night I prayed with him for the baptism in the holy ghost and He got tongues right away, His daughter was mortified which is understandable. But M was really happy.
We crashed the Brookline Young people’s meeting and gave each other our 25 year cakes. M died sober. And I miss him.
Who knew two unlikely people would have such effects on each other’s lives? Some day I will see him again.
God raises the most wonderful Temple out of the most humble stones!
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