Practice These Principles in All Our Affairs
One thing that becomes crystal clear as you move through the steps in sobriety is this: the steps are not just about staying sober one day at a time, they are about living life with integrity on a daily basis.
Most societies thrive when they have strong principles for how we interact with one another. Judeo-Christian principles are based on the Ten Commandments, basic tenets on how to treat others and how to behave on a daily basis. The 12 Steps are, in essence, the same sort of thing – a set of guidelines for living a decent, respectable and respectful life.
In the United States we have the Constitution, which is in its own way a set of governing rules for behavior, albeit for the government, but it also impacts citizens – we are all the government in a democracy, and we cannot deny others their basic rights under the Constitution or the amendments to the Constitution just because we don’t like it. For example, we can’t open a restaurant and refuse to serve a certain group because of their race or religion.
Consider what societies are like when they don’t have some set of guidelines for behavior. You often hear stories of the lawless regions of Pakistan, remote towns outside of government control. Some of the stories make you awfully grateful you live in a place where the rule of law reigns supreme.
To be productive, societies need a system of laws and a way to adjudicate breaches of those laws. People are absolutely interested in Justice with a capital J. Without justice, vigilantes might start roaming the streets. Now the 12 steps are not laws, but they are pretty darn good suggestions, and when you structure your life according to these steps with honesty and integrity, chances are you will not be considered an a-hole by your fellow travelers. You will be considered a compassionate and self-reflective person who understands the impact their actions have on yourself and others.
I remember reading a book many years ago by Girard on the meaning of sacrifice. I’m talking about sacrifice in the ritual sense that was done in ancient societies to appease the gods or the like. And I’m talking about human sacrifice. Eeek. What was interesting was the theoretical argument that in pre-judicial societies sacrificial offerings became a way to control the rage of groups of people who wanted justice (the eye-for-an-eye mentality). The sacrifice, often of a person nabbed from a neighboring village that had offended or upset them, allowed a catharsis – a release of the anger that was building to a point that could lead to war. Essentially, they decided a human sacrifice or two was better than all-out war.
I mention this because it highlights the fact that people want justice, and that driving need compels us to create rules that are easily understand by all. Rules prevent chaos. Justice is then only necessary if someone breaks those rules. You are less likely to break a rule if you know what the rule really is, and if you understand the potential consequences.
When we practice these principles in all our affairs we take to heart the importance of these basic principles of human interaction: we take responsibility for our behavior, we monitor our actions to ensure we are acting appropriately, we make amends when we hurt others, and we strive to develop a higher level of consciousness that is less selfish and more focused on helping others.
