A Sermon You Hear or a Sermon You See?

"Would you rather be a sermon you hear or a sermon you see?" is from a poem often collected under the title "One Hundred and One Famous Poems," a staple of Grandmothers around the world.  My Grandma Z. had it on her coffee table when I was young.

I think of the line often as I grow in my sobriety, because I know my words are not nearly as important as my actions.  In fact, changing my actions is the only way I know to change my thinking; as we say, I need to "act my way into right thinking."  In the program, action is often a synonym for service in the twelfth step, but it can also be part of the seventh step.  

In fact, I often list my defects and next to them what it would be if I converted it to an asset...consider the defect of lust, I like to put love next to it, so I know that my goal is to chose love.   I have learned through my sponsors that this step suggests I ask God to take "all of me good and bad."  It is never promised that the defect will be removed, but by bringing the choice into consciousness, I believe I increase the likelihood that I will chose love.  

Yesterday, I was driving as the storm moved in so I pulled over to take a picture of the light illuminating the steeple of  a church; I was struck by the beauty of the light surrounded by darkness and reminded of the Tao when it says "religion is for those who have lost their sense of awe."  

I am not anti-religion by any means, but I am aware that God-consciousness is an inside job that will never bring peace if it is dictated by an external mandate.  It seems to me that anyone can act appropriately in church, but few can carry these values into the streets; how lucky I am that my program requires me to keep trying to do  this very thing.  

I am certain this is why Bill W.'s life changed when he was told that his problem was he had relied on "other people's conception of God."  Today, I can achieve peace and happiness when I accept  that "the spiritual life is not a theory,"  and try to live differently.  

No, it is not "perfect adherence to these principles" by any means.  But today, I strive to have my actions be a model of goodness and hope.  What is your conception of God?  Are you working to align your words and actions?  Live out the awe of the world around you and celebrate it's changing nature.

Personal Journal | Published May 27, 2012