How are Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church, and June 10, The Birthday of Alcoholics Anonymous alike?

They both begin a season of sanctuary. A time of love, acceptance, understanding and peace.

The message of Pentecost is very, very clear: speak in a language clear enough so that everyone can hear the message. The message? God is love. You are a beloved child of God.

The message of Alcoholics Anonymous is equally clear: speak your truth out loud so that someone else might hear the story. The story? You don’t have to drink: you can talk to me instead.

On the day of Pentecost the Good News of God’s love was spoken so people could hear it in their own language. They understood. They got it. They were safe, among friends.

How many times have we gone to an AA meeting and left with wonder, saying “That speaker tonight told my story…I am not alone…there is a way…”

AA is a practical guide to living a life of love. Recovery starts out with acceptance of who and what we are: alcoholics, unable to manage even our own lives. But through the power of AA, through the fellowship and the program, we learn to love ourselves. And then that love can spill out and we can start to love other people. We take responsibility for our actions. We learn that we matter. We learn that what we do and say and think affects other people and we decide what we want that effect to be. We have choices. We are free.

So what do I mean, “season of sanctuary?” What season? What sanctuary? The season is now. Now is the time when things are happening. Right now. This is the season of love.

What sanctuary? The halls of AA--the undercrofts and basements, the upstairs rooms and Serenity Clubs--the halls of AA are safe places. People can come and be accepted. People can come with all their sadness and anger, their restless, irritable discontented selves and they will be listened to. And they will learn to listen to someone else and in doing so, they will become human.

What sanctuary? The chambers of our hearts that are open to love. The real, tough love of accepting other people as they are, knowing that in God’s kingdom they are doing okay.

We work very, very hard to offer sanctuary--acceptance, love, peace, understanding--to whomever we meet, wherever we are. We respect the dignity and worth of every human being.

And we show that by listening. We listen. We honor. We accept.

We are sanctuary.

Christine H.