When we do the Tenth Step to the best of our ability, love becomes central to everything we do – there is no more powerful antidote to the despair and self-destruction of addiction.
Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Love”
Love in Narcotics Anonymous is the Twelfth Step in action. We felt the power of love when we walked into our first gathering and were welcomed, no matter what we looked like, where we came from, how we smelled, or who we came with. We found open arms and true acceptance – perhaps for the first time in our lives. The hugs, genuine care and concern and offers of support offered to us are a powerful example of love in action.
At first, allowing ourselves to receive this love takes some effort. Eventually, we get to the point of giving her away too. This sounds simple, but it is not always easy. Through service, we learn to love even those members we don't really like. Sometimes we are surprised by what can happen when we focus on our primary purpose and choose principled actions.
One member of the N&I subcommittee recalled having a service with his least favorite person in the rooms. “We put our differences aside and focused on our primary purpose,” the member shared. “We're never going to be best friends, but! i could see his heart was in the right place. We both loved NA and wanted to help the addict who is still suffering."
As NA members, we understand that carrying the message is an act of love. We share and care to support our own recovery and help the addict who is still suffering. It is what saves us all from the despair and self-destructive lifestyle we know. Having been in NA for a long time, we also appreciate the love extended to older members, who need love just as surely as they did on their first day clean. Although love alone cannot help us overcome all our problems, it certainly gives us a good push towards the solution.
I will put love into action by carrying the message of NA today.
