Recovery

Humans tend to be quite poor influences upon each other, actually. They lead one another, not to wisdom, but to materialism and its brothers, anger and greed. That is the main problem with socializing. Recovery time is needed after exposure to some humans, who are toxic. Even the mere sight or sound of some of them can be toxic. Drinkers, addicts, full of arrogance, anger, contempt, greed, lust, and cool indifference to anything except triggers for greed or anger. One creates buffer zones, shelters away from others. Facebook, et al are not very interesting because they inflict people upon one another, when people are already getting more than enough of each other. Who really wants or needs instant updates of every Joe, Dick, and Harry, or chat mode for that matter? What is lost to people of this era is communication with that which is eternal, and it is best expressed in silence.

Drinkers

As I complete my first full year of abstinence, I have been struck by the prevalence and tenacity of drinkers. Everyone I know drinks, friends, acquaintances, family, co-workers--and they are quite aggressive about drinking, as though it is a tribal rite, a custom enshrined in religion, and indeed it is in the Holy Eucharist.

I perceive among them the psychic force that enslaved me for so many decades of my life, to my detriment. It is black magic, demonic in nature, although few accept this, because the world views alcohol in a benign light, as it does many forms of evil. Evil approacheth with a fair face and speaketh with a silver tongue, laying an arm around thy back as if in friendship, while clutching a poisoned dagger.

As the months have passed, and many friends have offered me free drinks that used to be my favorites, I wondered whether I would fold. Not even. I am not even tempted. I smile.

No one knows my secret. Almost a year ago, I performed an I.O.B., half-thinking "what am I even doing?", but it worked just as certainly as the earth keeps me on her surface. Of course the groundwork was already laid down. There had been a welling of resistance to alcohol building up in me for many years. Read this blog and there are numerous posts against alcohol.

It should not bother me that other people are trapped in the clutches of this old ugly demon, but they are, and it is a cold satisfaction knowing I enjoy the better way. I would prefer they be better, too, and be stronger and brighter. I will be dead before too long, and the people I observe are the ones who must carry on. England's whole problem is drink, nothing but drink, and they drink because they lost their spirituality, as all people do. Those who reject Spirit embrace spirits to fill the void inside them. In doing so, they open up a gateway into their lives for demons to talk through them and to use them for purposes of malice. Is this so very hard to see?

Of courses, atheists aren't alone in tipping the bottle, although they are the lion's share. Have never known any atheist to remain sober for any great length of time, certainly not more than a month. As to Christians and Jews who drink, I have to wonder what kind of relationship they have with religion, what kind of understanding. Diminishing the Will and inviting any and all comers to enter does not seem like a very wise move for one who professes to believe in the Unseen. The Muslims have it right on this issue, I regret to say. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.