The Christophers: Kicking the Habit
- Editor
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tony Rossi, Director of Communications,
The Christophers
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The Christophers have been publishing our News Notes for most of our 81 years of existence. If you’re not familiar with Christopher News Notes, they are pamphlets on a variety of spiritual topics that highlight how gospel values can be lived out in today’s world, how we can better love both God and our neighbors, and how we can deal with the various challenges and hardships that life brings our way. Individual copies are free to anyone who asks for them, and those on our mailing list receive them 10 times a year.
Occasionally, we hear from supporters who still cherish a Christopher News Note that we published 30 or more years ago. That’s what happened recently when we received a request from a woman at a Catholic parish who is running a program that helps individuals dealing with addictions or those living with family addictions. She asked for permission to use an old News Note, titled “Kicking the Habit: Twelve Steps to Recovery,” as part of the curriculum. Naturally, we approved her request because we are always happy to hear that our work is helping people to improve their lives. We also decided that “Kicking the Habit” would be a perfect fit to republish as one of our “Classic News Notes,” since the information it contains is timeless—and addiction remains a problem in our society today.
The News Note begins with a quote from Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Regarding his own journey to recovery, he recalled, “I had reached the end of the line. I was powerless to save myself from an evil force that was stronger than I was. One night I cried out to God. I begged Him to let the great healing wind of His Spirit blow through me and make me clean once more. And He heard my cry. I never touched alcohol again.” The News Note goes on to present the 12 Steps that guide AA (as well as other addiction recovery programs), along with brief commentary added by The Christophers to illustrate their spiritual basis.
For instance, Step One is: “We admitted we were powerless over (problem), that our lives had become unmanageable.” We then feature a quote from a cocaine addict in Arkansas, who said, “I was so lost, I knew I was dying. One rainy day in March, I knelt in the mud on a bluff overlooking the Chattahoochee River. I just prayed to [God to] let me die or get better.” The News Note then points out the myth that addicts are “hopeless cases.” Instead, it promotes the fact, “You are a child of God. There is no such thing as a hopeless case.”
That leads to Step two: “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” A member of Over-eaters Anonymous reflects that realization, noting, “My compulsive eating overwhelmed me. To me, trusting God to solve my problem wasn’t logical. Strong people take control of their lives and solve their own problems. I wasn’t sure I even believed in God. One day, everything changed. I suddenly understood that relying on God for strength was not a sign of weakness…that His power was really there. I could feel Him.”
This is just a brief overview of “Kicking the Habit,” so if you would like to read the whole thing, you can request a free copy by calling 212-759-4050, ext. 241 or by emailing mail@christophers.org.
For free copies of Christopher News Notes, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org
