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Richard Rohr is an American Franciscan priest and writer on spirituality. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church when he was 27 and currently operates the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. In 2011, PBS called him “one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world”. He is the author of over 50 books and is seen as a thought leader across denominations. Although I don’t accept every one of his thoughts or positions, I respect the way he thinks and challenges the current Christian (and Catholic) establishment.

In 2001, he published a book entitled, “Breathing Underwater”, a title taken from a line in a poem. It is a walk thru the 12 steps connecting each step to biblical principles. Rohr himself is not in recovery – that he acknowledges – but he is a long-time admirer of people in recovery as he sees that much of contemporary western Christianity is by name alone, and not action. Rohr is a man of action, so he sees we in recovery as putting our faith in action.

There’s a parallel he makes in the book that I’d like to review with you. My hope is that you’ll experience the harmony the 12 steps have with Jesus’ teachings, perhaps which will affirm that you’re on the right path being in a faith-based recovery program.

Rohr’s observation in the book is that Jesus and the 12 steps are saying the same thing. There are four summary points he makes:

1. We suffer to get well
2. We surrender to win
3. We die to live
4. We give it away to keep it

Let’s walk through these four points and see if I can help align these for you to both scripture and the 12 steps.

We suffer to get well – This aligns with Step 1

1 Peter 5:10 reads, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

• Written to early Believers who were dispersed throughout the ancient world and were being persecuted for their faith
• We have a persecutor, too. There is an evil on who seeks to kill and destroy
• His disguises are clever. He brings trouble into our lives, then he puts his hand out in what appears to be providing a way to save or solve it for us – or just provide us a reprieve
• In his hand is alcohol, food, drugs, sex, gambling, a critical relationship – all things to create a buffer between us and our dilemma. However, we didn’t recognize it as a lie.
• Just as the early Follows of Christ must have left their lives were unmanageable as they were persecuted by their enemies, they too found in their suffering the need to turn to God as they were totally helpless.

We Surrender to Win – This aligns with Steps 2 and 3

Philippians 4:6-7 reads, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

• Here we are encouraged to connect with God through prayer
• “Supplication” is taking a posture of humility as we approach God – as in step 7 when we admit our shortcomings in humility and sincerity.
• Steps 2 and 3 are the faith and hope steps
• As we work these steps we must release our ego and place ourselves at the mercy of God the Father
• The book of Philippians was written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome, held by Nero – who had a power struggle with this mother (Nero was adopted) so he had her murdered, as well as his wife. Nero had a solution for everything. Eliminate those not aligned with you. Now, Paul was in his custody.
• So the earliest Believers recognized, as did Paul, that surrendering to God was the only pathway to victory. And in their case, victory might not be in this lifetime, or look like what they wanted it to be. As with us, victory is available to us, but we must be available to accept the victory God provides uniquely to us. Your recovery won’t look like anyone else’s.

We Die to Live – This aligns with Steps 4 – 11

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“

• Ancient readers of this text would understand the term “sacrifice” as a means of worship and to cover their sins.
• “Anakainosis” is the Greek word for “renewal” (the original language of the letter was in Greek). It means a complete makeover. If you were remodeling a house, a flipper would simply pain over the rotting siding and trim, put in LVT over the old linoleum, throw some paint on the walls and list it for a profit.  But that’s not the renewal Paul was speaking of. This renewal would require you to start with an examination of the foundation. Are there any cracks in the basement walls? Moisture or water present? This renewal means replacing the windows, installing new siding and a roof after inspecting all the sheathing and replacing the rotting pieces. You get the picture. It is a complete makeover of mind and soul – moving us to a higher place.

• In steps 4 – 11 our character is developed – things that were hidden by our illness and sin in our lives. We develop courage to make a searching and fearless inventory – integrity to admit the exact nature of our wrongs – a willingness to be ready for God to remove the garbage in our lives – humility to ask Him (not of our effort) to remove these shortcomings. We have to have love in making a list of those we have harmed. We become responsible people in making direct amends – going to any length to do so. We develop discipline taking regular inventory of our lives and rectifying any wrong we have perpetrated. And we become spiritually aware through regular conscience contact with God.
• Does this sound like we’re in a program that is going to flip our lives – leaving all the flaws and damage painted over only to appear later? Or does this program sound like the complete renewal written about by Paul?

We Give it Away to Keep It – This aligns with Step 12

John 12:24-26 reads, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

• This builds a bridge from dying to living to give it away to keep it.
• There are lots of agricultural references in the bible as was their society – the seed is symbolic as it “dies” (falls to the ground) yet when planted, it comes to life again – and even better, produces more seeds so the process continues.
• Step 12 is our service step. After having our “spiritual awakening” (that’s a message for another day) we carry the message of hope, renewal, grace and peace provide by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to all who are still dead in their sins and addictions
• By the way, we all still sin – putting other things in the place of God, like ourselves and our will. But being dead in your since means you have no way out, no hope, no solution. Were you ever at a place in your life where you felt like that?
• A plant that no longer produces seeds is a plant that is about to die. It must continue to produce its fruit to live and be healthy
• Much like that plant we must give away what we have to keep it.
• It could take on various forms based on your natural gits – speaking to groups, mentoring or sponsoring 121, serving on Sundays as a greeter or whatever. We must serve to keep producing fruit to remain healthy.

Richard Rohr’s Four Points -again – of how Jesus and the 12 steps are saying the same thing:

1. We suffer to get well (Step 1)
2. We surrender to win (Steps 2-3)
3. We die to live (Steps 4-11)
4. We give it away to keep it (Step 12)

The origins of AA were from a faith-based program early in the last century. One of the co-founders of AA and author of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in which the 12 steps appeared, was a Believer.

TRUST the word of God – the bible is authentic (and that’s another message for another day) and what is says is THE truth.

And know that the 12 steps and Jesus’ teaching are very much aligned – so you can trust the steps as providing you a pathway to a renewed life.