Lately I have been wondering if any of the people who decide what is and is not an essential service realize that Alcoholic Anonymous and their affiliated groups were started by Christians.
That right. You know the ones who are not allowed to meet even in small numbers in huge churches in Canada of all places. Since July of 2020 (and possibly sooner in some places) AA, Al-Anon, Al-Ateen and other groups have been meeting. AA was started by a Christian and a doctor who realized that without spiritual help and the aid of those who have been there done that, recovering from alcohol was near impossible. The dear wives of those first members started Al-Anon soon after as they realized they too needed the help to cope with the insanity addiction brings to families.
Now, as a Christian, in what used to be considered a Christian country, I am tired of the lame excuses for Christians to not meet. Education seems to be allowed. What on Earth do you think we do in church? The pastor typically spends much of their week preparing to teach us (in a nut shell) how to love God and serve others.
In the spring of 2020, the MCC group of women I belonged to who made quilts for the needy stopped. With only 12 to 14 women, we typically made about 300 beautiful quilts each year. I found great satisfaction in knowing that my time was spent making something that may just be the best thing a poor person would receive in their entire life.
I ended up deeply discouraged and depressed by last summer. Church is not just something I do on a Sunday morning. I am a Christian. A Christ follower. I need the fellowship of other believers, even if I am not allowed to hug them right now.
Carolyn Parpatt
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