Thomas...the first 12 stepper

The Risen one carries in His risen body the wounds of His crucifixion which leads to His death. He now invites Thomas to enter His wounds and in doing so Thomas, the denier, is brought to faith and wonder.  He then utters the words that are repeated again and again by believers down through the centuries "My Lord and my God."  When the consecrated host is raised after the consecration these same words are uttered over and over by the community of faith.  When one is deeply immersed in nature a spiritual awakening ever so often, bursts forth from deep within.  Caught up in the splendor of creation and The Mystery both "hidden and revealed" we are led to, "My Lord and my God."  Nothing more is needed.

What happened in that encounter between The Risen Christ and disbelieving Thomas?  May I suggest this was the first twelve step.  There was no medical cure for the what is now called the disease of alcoholism.  Science today is still struggling with a healthy and viable drug free solution. ( I will get push back for that statement of my present belief.  Feel free to do so.)  Thanks to the intervention of The Higher power, we can rightly say through the intervention The Holy Spirit a solution was provided.  For those not familiar with the recovery process and how it works here are the Cliff Notes according to my present day understanding here in 2019.  At one time, as I have said, each person suffering from the disease of alcoholism was treated as having an incurable disease.  There were three options; death, insanity or jail.   For those who are not working a program of recovery these three options have not changed, but another option has been added namely, recovery!!!  How did this miracle come about?  In 1935 Alcoholics Anonymous was founded.  This provided a healthy spiritual solution to this terminal shame based disease.  Behind every addiction and compulsion lies alive and well the dynamic of toxic shame.  Shame as I have mentioned so often takes away five rights essential for healthy, sober living.  The ability to experience serenity in daily living is now beyond a person's reach. The rights taken from the one who lives in the prison of toxic shame are the rights to love, to be loved (be the beloved), to belong, to have worthwhileness and to have fun.  When this is our experience we know hell.

To be continued...