Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

STEP ELEVEN

which "proved" there was no God whatever. What about
all the accidents, sickness, cruelty, and injustice in the
world? What about all those unhappy lives which were the
direct result of unfortunate birth and uncontrollable cir-
cumstances? Surely there could be no justice in this scheme
of things, and therefore no God at all.

Sometimes we took a slightly different tack. Sure, we
said to ourselves, the hen probably did come before the
egg. No doubt the universe had a "first cause" of some
sort, the God of the Atom, maybe, hot and cold by turns.
But certainly there wasn't any evidence of a God who
knew or cared about human beings. We liked A.A. all
right, and were quick to say that it had done miracles. But
we recoiled from meditation and prayer as obstinately as
the scientist who refused to perform a certain experiment
lest it prove his pet theory wrong. Of course we finally did
experiment, and when unexpected results followed, we felt
different; in fact we knew different; and so we were sold
on meditation and prayer. And that, we have found, can
happen to anybody who tries. It has been well said that
"almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never
tried it enough."

Those of us who have come to make regular use of
prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse
air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we
refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we
turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive
our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally
needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack
of nourishment, so can the soul. We all need the light of