The Whole Company of..

I was born an Anglican (Church of England), and the following crops up in one of our services (perhaps in the services of other denominations also): “Therefore with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven, we laud and glorify Thy name.” Since I have no knowledge of heaven or the company kept there, whenever I repeat this passage of praise, I substitute the words “and the whole company of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Being an A.A. Loner, I have felt very out of things and on my own. But I do believe in the power of collective thought, whether for good or evil. Thus, I believe that the collective thought of the body of Alcoholics Anonymous throughout the world must have some effect on alcoholics, whether they are aware of it or not.

Kenton-on-Sea, South Africa