Safety

There are times in my life when the idea of safety really gets under my skin.  I hear people talk about 'being safe,' and want to shake them into taking risks and living lives that are 'dangerous.'  I want to walk out of my house without locking the doors, I want someone to mug me [so I can fulfill some sick macho desire in my heart to beat someone up], or I want to pack it all in and take my backpack 'into the wild.'  John Eldredge might speak about these things as good desires, desires that reflect God's nature to be adventurous or, worse, to be a 'risk-taker' [which, by the way, I do NOT endorse].  Others might call these things foolish, stating pertinent reasons why it is stupid to head out into the wild blue yonder without a plan or a friend [I endorse this; it is not wise to go out into the woods, particularly in unfamiliar territory, without a buddy], or why I should lock my doors because my roommate might not share my disregard for personal belongings.  

For more than a year, my ideas about safety have been challenged in a profound way.  We often speak about the safety of our community at the Mission, referring mostly to the healthy, thought-provoking, recovery-centric environment that we strive to create for our residents.  In this context, safety takes priority; it holds precedent in a profound way.  Unlike my personal desires to disregard my own safety, I am forced to consider the safety of the Mission's Community with the utmost regard.  This is a challenging thought for me, mostly because I often hear the word 'SAFETY' with a general degree of stigma.  

In concordance with the Mission's safety, a new thought arises: in order to ensure a positive recovery experience that gives our residents the best opportunities available to succeed and thrive in their recovery, safety has to be paramount.  No longer can safety hold a stigma, but it must be given the priority it deserves - our residents must have every opportunity to beat their alcoholism or addiction.  This happens, primarily, by providing residents with a chance to share openly and honestly in groups, by doing our best to remove the threats of drugs or alcohol being used in the house, and by ensuring that our residents feel cared for at every intersection of their lives.  

Do I still think about safety with a general disdain in terms of my personal life?  Absolutely.  However, the word safety has taken on a new importance when I think about it in the context of community.