Guest commentary from Keith Kaufold
As you’ve undoubtedly seen in recent news, addiction in the church — especially among leaders — is a hot topic. Reading these headlines has prompted me to think about my own struggles with addiction and how Christians should respond to the problem.
On an almost daily basis, I am confronted with the stark reality of the epidemic of addiction in western Pennsylvania where I live. Whether it is a parent angry over his/her inability to control a child’s addiction or an alcoholic facing eviction, the result is the same — hopelessness! The question must be asked: “Does the church have a word for those overcome with the consequences of addiction?” Perhaps more theologically appropriate, “How does the word of/about Jesus address addiction?”
Surely as the resurrected and ascended Jesus reigns in absolute power, the true “wounded healer” glorified with nail pierced hands, the power of addiction has been broken. Yet, one can intellectually know this and still live in the bondage and inherent shame addiction produces.
I first visited a seminary more than 11 years ago, with only two weeks of sobriety from years of alcohol and drug addiction. I sat and listened to the journey of Martin Luther, radically standing for the hope concerning the person and work of Christ. I believe a desire was birthed within me to learn theology that continues to this day. A desire that has led me through the completion of an MDiv and STM, both earned at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. However, I would not have been able to survive academically, if I would not have continued in recovery. Within the first week of classes, I connected with two others who also were in recovery from drugs and alcohol. We began a recovery meeting on campus and formed a fellowship, welcoming any in need of help in recovering from any addiction.
The leaders in this recovery group were clear that this group was only a part of the needed support to remain sober. What was needed was a radical transformation in the mind and the heart, what the old timers of AA called a vital “spiritual experience.” Such an experience would not come from the important works of classic theology passed on through the ages. Nor would such an experience come from participating in memorable mission trips that opened up a global understanding of the mission of God within the world. As crucial as these experiences where to my development as a pastor-theologian, they could not keep me, or others, sober.
The spiritual experience needed to recover came from identifying with others as to our common problem and our inability to control our lives. It came through believing in a God that can be trusted with our failures, hopes, and dreams. Once we came to the admission that “we couldn’t… but God can,” we realized that this was only the foundation of our new lives. We can know all about God and “can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives” (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, 40).
There has to be a brutal honesty, a self-assessment, willing to look at the damage that we have caused to ourselves and to others. We can face our resentments and fears, acknowledging the power they have had in controlling our lives. In a spirit of transparency, we have the challenging call to confess our faults before a trusted pilgrim on the road to recovery. No longer blaming the substances of our addiction, we ask the living Lord to remove from us all that stands in the way of our usefulness to God and to serving others. We stop hiding from those that we have hurt and attempt to make amends for our actions and/or inactions. We no longer live under the false illusion that we are always right and we must take responsibility for our failings. Our lives now become centered upon the rhythm of prayer and meditation, seeking the knowledge of God’s will in our lives and asking for the strength to live it out. Finally, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs” (Step 12 of Alcoholics Anonymous).
Imagine if the transformation that happens in the lives of those recovering from addictions happened in our local congregations. My gracious challenge to every servant in the church is to honestly look at our lives. In a spirit of willingness, discern if the things we hold so near are actually holding us back. In other words, “Are we addicted?”
Friends, there is hope and there is healing. The evidence of such is seen in the miracles of those who live “one day at a time” without the crippling effects of active addiction. Yet, we must admit there is a problem before we can live into the solution.
Keith Kaufold is pastor and director of Eighth Avenue Place, a Christian community in Pittsburgh that confronts ignorance that perpetuates racism by living and ministering together in the name of Jesus Christ. This spring Keith will receive the first Fred McFeely Rogers Award for Creative Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
