The Necessity of Community

This is the month of May and traditionally this is the month in which we review Step 5, “Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” This was an amazingly hard but powerful step for me. I became known with no secrets. As we have revisited this step this year, I’ve been fixated on the part that says “…another human being”. Why is it necessary to admit to another human being the nature of my wrongs? Why couldn’t I keep the nature of my addiction stay between me and God. He certainly is all powerful and he knows everything that I have done. Why didn’t he do anything when I admitted to him, in the throes of addiction, the nature of my wrongs? I even asked him to help me stop. But he didn’t.

Does that mean he was impotent? That he wasn’t there? That he didn’t care?

I firmly believe that he is all powerful and loving. So why didn’t he change me?

Since entering and working the 12 Step program, I have found that community was the missing ingredient in my story. Prior to joining, I was isolated and alone. I felt separated from others and I felt different. I felt like no one else had the same issues that I had. Coming into the program I immediately met people that understood and related and in opening to this community, I found that I could be honest with my struggles and challenges. It was through these people that God chose to change me.

I suppose that is the answer to the question I asked at the beginning of this post. God chooses to work through people. We are designed for community and as we walk together and interact with each other, God is working through his community of followers to bring his good will to fruition.

It is yet another example of a way that I must surrender to God’s design. Self appraisal and self sufficiency is insufficient. In sharing with another I find humility, fearlessness and honesty. Each of these three things are gifts that I have received as I confessed the nature of my wrongs with others. In this step, God is providing yet again what I need, things I wouldn’t have gotten if I walked alone.