Fellowship

OCTOBER 1947

Do You Yearn for Fellowship?

Fellowship

Alcoholics long for fellowship. As humiliations and misbehavior add up, they withdraw from society–from life itself. The cold fog of loneliness closes down. Even then they are pursued by the Four Horsemen: Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration and Despair.

Perhaps you–even though you are not an alcoholic and never will be–are hunted by one or more of the same Four Horsemen. They will make you insecure, unable to enjoy life and finally downright ill. Instead of the disease of alcoholism they may cause ulcers, migraine, insomnia–any one of the hundred afflictions that anxiety and nerves bring.

When an A.A. begins to put new viewpoints into action, he is apt to find it a long tough pull filled with pitfalls. Most A.A.s have the fellowship of others who are striving along the same paths.

Together the A.A.s learn to escape disaster, and shoulder to shoulder commence the common journey, sharing their own experiences, and working together to help someone worse off. When one falls down the others rally to pick him up and encourage him to learn (as they learn themselves) from his slip.

In closed meetings they argue out practical ways to meet special tests or problems that come to each. Rich and poor, educated and illiterate, men and women, of all ages, from all walks of life, they meet and talk openly, in all humility, about how each can build a finer, richer life the A.A. way.

Morale and interest strengthen through this fellowship, the regularity of meetings, and through building up a special list of names and phone numbers that can be called when one feels fearful of some impending blow, rattled over some fool mistake, or just out of sorts and restless.

Pride is put in the checkroom, and half the worry disappears with talk–with sharing. To some people this seems appallingly lacking in self-sufficiency and modest reticence. But if it is more blessed to give, there must be a taker for every giver. To take earnestly and thankfully is a touchstone of humility. All normal men and women must stand graciously on both ends of the line.

Many others could, no doubt, benefit by such a fellowship. Shared burdens are lighter; other minds throw fresh viewpoint on your problem.

Such groups take courage and prayer to start. One person seeks another in difficulty, through a doctor, a minister, friends or strangers who are distressed. Two find a third. Somehow when the Lord knows you stand ready to help, He sends along your path those who need you–and whom you need.