Day 60: August 16, 2012 ~ Bill W.

Day 60: August 16, 2012 ~ Bill W.

"In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is."

~Bill Wilson, co-founder of AA

After watching the new documentary film Bill W. I am feeling great gratitude for this man who dedicated his life to helping people heal from the ravages of alcohol addiction. The film is an honest portrayal of a flawed human being, a man who freely shared his own struggle with alcohol addiction in order to offer hope to those in need—this man who became an icon although he preferred to be known as just another person on the path to recovery. He had no false illusions about himself. In one scene in the film, we hear his voice on tape during a speech, referring to himself as "the floundering father" of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

A successful Wall Street analyst in the 1930s, he battled the bottle until he hit rock bottom during the Depression. In those days alcoholics were considered incurable, hopeless drunks, and were treated as if they had severe mental disorders. People were hospitalized, given electroshock treatments, and in some cases lobotomies were performed. Those were the treatment options of the time. And then along came Bill Wilson, who by his admission experienced a healing purely by the grace of God. Influenced by the teachings of the evangelical Oxford Group, he had a spiritual awakening whereupon the obsession was lifted from him. From that point on, he wanted only to help others become free as well.

Knowing the potentially fatal consequences of continued drinking, and having experienced a healing, still he knew he was susceptible to relapse. He came to realize that the only way he could stay sober was to find "another drunk" to talk to, to focus on someone else who needed help. Bill W. understood that the chief "spiritual malady" of the addict is self-centeredness, and the way out is to focus one's attention and care on someone else who is in greater need.

For me, one of the most powerful scenes in the film is where they show images of the original manuscript of the book he co-wrote in 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous. Red pencil edits and hand written revisions of the first draft reveal the refinement process involved in the creation of the now famous 12 Steps—the foundational principles for living a life of physical and emotional sobriety. It brought tears to my eyes, to think of this inspired set of principles, in potent, efficiently chosen phrases, coming to and through him and onto the page, knowing how these 12 Steps have literally saved the lives of millions of people world wide.

I am grateful for the power of the written word to change lives, to bring healing and transformation. I am grateful for Bill W., for his inspired vision and his dedication in service to so many who thirst for higher truth.