Higher Power

Some of us spend a lot of time asking the question "What is a Higher Power?"

Sometimes, the answer is, "Something." Sometimes, the answer is "Somebody." Sometimes, the answer is "Anything that keeps me from drinking." Others say "it" is a light bulb, a radiator, a chair, the A.A. Group, the Big Dipper, a rock, "Her," a tree, a rainbow, or "nothing at all." But whatever be the names we hear, such labels for a "deity" sound pretty screwy to some of us. And they certainly are. If you are not adverse to reading from the Bible, then take a look at Psalm 115 for the discussion the Bible provided centuries ago. You will find that it is still relevant today.

However, the more the answers, the more the questions, because those "light bulb" and "Big Dipper" phrases don’t answer questions; they just raise the question, "What is it?"

Historically, the "higher power" phrase comes from New Thought writers like Ralph Waldo Trine, William James, the Emanuel Movement people, including, perhaps, Bill W.’s friend Victor Kitchen. But what is it? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman?

Dr. Bob’s wife Anne Ripley Smith simply called the nonsense names a "funk hole".

Let me share with you how three old timers approach the answer to what a "Higher Power" is not:

One old timer--the oldest--is Jim H. from Maryland. He lived to 100 years old and got sober just about the same time that Bill Wilson did. In fact, Jim knew Rev. Sam Shoemaker and met Bill Wilson at early Oxford Group meetings. Jim’s answer to the "higher power" nonsense involved a "take-away" approach. He said: "If you take God out of the program, you have nothing."

Another old timer--the archivist at Dr. Bob’s home--is Ray G. Ray takes a large collection of A.A. history materials around the U.S., conducts workshops at conferences, and tells it like it was. Ray’s approach to the nonsense phrase was to "identify" the "highest power." Ray frequently said: "My higher power is not conference approved; but his Father is!"

A third--an old timer from Oregon whose name is Gene-- was involved in both A.A. and N.A., and was speaking at a world convention of N.A. He said that Jesus was his higher power, and he knew that the early A.A. program was a Christian program. We got to talking about "singleness of purpose," about the common features of A.A. and N.A., and about the drift of both away from God. At the end of our conversation, we both agreed that today’s crowds in A.A. and N.A. are really not single anything—not just alcoholics, not just addicts, not just believers, not just unbelievers, but in fact not much of any of these if they just stayed sick and didn’t get into a fellowship and didn’t focus on getting well. Gene said that he no longer introduced himself in speeches by saying "I’m Gene, and I am an alcoholic" or "I’m Gene, and I am an addict." Today he introduces himself as follows: "I’m Gene, and I am a responsible member of the program."

So this article is addressed to those who are, or want to be, "a responsible member of the program." Who want to be a respected member that doesn’t utter gibberish or repeat absurd names. This is addressed to those who want to identify themselves as a responsible member of A.A.’s Fellowship. Who, then, is a responsible member?

Let’s take a cue from the three old timers I just quoted.

A responsible member is one who does not want to take God out of the program. It is neither his privilege nor his right. As the Big Book states so clearly, God either is, or He is not. And today’s AAs have the right to choose between the Creator and something not-God.

A responsible member who is also a Christian is one who makes it clear that the Creator, his Father, is "Conference-approved"—and most certainly not "Conference dis-approved." He knows that most "Conference-approved" literature refers to God, establishing a relationship with God, the Bible, biblical phrases, and the early A.A. Christian Fellowship.

A responsible member may certainly be a person who gets well by turning to "the Lord"—as Bill Wilson and Bill Dotson (A.A. Number Three) said they did (Big Book, p. 191). He is not required to turn to "the Lord," nor were his A.A. forbears after the Big Book, the Twelve Steps, and the Twelve Traditions were published; but he does have that privilege and right.

A responsible member is one who would rather focus on what God has done for him once he sought God, rather than on sparking conflicts over definitions about who is sick from what, about what the nature of a "higher power" is, about what "it" is or isn’t, about what the meaning of "is" is, and/or about who satisfies the requirements for "membership" and who doesn’t.

One of the reasons I enjoyed and still enjoy the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous is that I never tried to substitute any kind of "higher power" for Almighty God. Another reason is that I never got thrown out when I mentioned God. Or even when I mentioned the Bible. Another is that I used the same terms to describe Almighty God that were used by Dr. Bob, Bill Wilson, and the other pioneers—Creator, Maker, Father, God, Father of lights, Heavenly Father, and Spirit. Another is that I soon gave up thinking I could expect others to stop using the phrase "higher power" as a description of their "Something," or "Somebody," or "not-god" philosophy. And I am, like Gene, "a responsible member of the program." At least I think so, and that is what counts for me. In the language of the Big Book, my job is to be of maximum service to God and to carry the message to those still suffering from alcoholism. That’s our primary purpose – plus; and it works!