May 21
The Empty Chair
The member who usually knows what to do is absent. A question comes up, and everyone looks toward the place where that person normally sits. It is a small moment, but it can reveal how much of the group's confidence has gathered around one personality. Without that familiar voice, the room seems less certain of itself.
Experience is valuable, and missing someone's judgment is natural. Tradition Two still invites the people who are present to seek a conscience together. They can consult the literature, hear the concerns, and decide whether the matter needs more information. Nobody has to impersonate the missing member. The group may discover abilities that constant deference has kept hidden. Trusting a loving God as ultimate authority gives us a reason to listen beyond the person we usually rely upon, including to members who have rarely been asked what they think.
Where have I allowed one person's presence to stand in for the group's conscience?
The people in the room have something to bring.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Tradition Two.