II. SECTION 11. What is Creation?
Lesson 325 All things I think I see reflect ideas.
- This is salvation’s keynote: What I see reflects a process in my mind, which starts with my idea of what I want. From there, the mind makes up an image of the thing the mind desires, judges valuable, and therefore seeks to find. These images are then projected outward, looked upon, esteemed as real, and guarded as one’s own. From insane wishes comes an insane world. From judgment comes a world condemned. And from forgiving thoughts a gentle world comes forth, with mercy for the holy Son of God, to offer him a kindly home where he can rest a while before he journeys on, and help his brothers walk ahead with him, and find the way to Heaven and to God.
- Our Father, Your ideas reflect the truth, and mine apart from Yours but make up dreams. Let me behold what only Yours reflect, for Yours and Yours alone establish truth.[1]
In today’s lesson Jesus informs us that when we identify with the ego’s insane wishes, we will not see Creation as it was created, we see instead an insane world. When we think in part, we will see in part. When we think of ourselves as separate, we will see separateness and defend ourselves against the unity of Creation. When we think division, we will see division and defend ourselves against the wholeness of Creation. When we think of our brothers as mean-spirited, selfish, and lazy, that is how we will interpret everything our brother does, instead of seeing our brother as God created him. When we think with the darkened mind, we will see the shadowland of the death-driven world rather than the light, the joy, the peace. and love of Creation.
Forgiveness is the key to salvation. For when our minds have forgiving thoughts the gentleness and kindness of Creation comes forth. Here we extend mercy to our fellow creatures, here we offer them a place of rest as they return to God, and in our forgiving thoughts we help our brothers walk ahead not of us, but with us, as our forgiving thoughts lead us back to God.
When I read that last sentence in the first paragraph, the words “walk ahead with us” leapt out and captured my attention. Usually when we see “walk ahead” we think of someone walking in front of us. Gallantly we may step aside and allow someone to walk ahead of us, but no, Jesus is saying that our brother walk ahead “with” us. Here we see the mutuality of salvation represented in the journey back to God. Nobody is ahead; nobody is left behind. Forgiveness extended to all and by all allows us to walk ahead together. Nobody is in a hurry to get there first; nobody is calling first dibs. The key factor in a return to God is seeing our brothers as ourselves, experiencing the flow of grace that is getting to give and giving to get. I offer up my spot on the journey to my brother, but instead of taking it, we walk ahead together, for we are one, we are equals, we are both leaders and followers, we are whole. I would not dream of butting in line ahead of him; he would not dream of butting in line ahead of me.
This is an especially wonderful lesson to me this week because it speaks to reconciliation. For years I have found it difficult if not impossible to forgive those who have hurt me and disappointed me. Even though I am not necessarily a believer in astrology, my temperament seems to closely follow the description of a Scorpio, the sign I have been born under. Ferociously loyal, when I am betrayed, I seek unholy vengeance. Many times I have to cut people out of my life because I am afraid of my own desire to even scores or teach someone a much-needed lesson. When someone shows me their ass, I am challenged, not to show them forgiveness, but to show them that I too have an ass and it is bigger and “badder” than the one shown me.
There is nothing about this of which I am proud, I am merely describing the Eckie I made myself out to be to survive in this world. She seemed to be my friend. She seemed to be all for me – to defend me from those who would take advantage, to attack those who hurt me or those I held dear. This ego-driven Eckie wanted to make sure that I get what is coming to me, that nobody else gets to it first. She likes to let everybody know that she is an introvert, not an extrovert. She has a clearly delineated boundary, a line which nobody better cross without express permission. While she seemed to be my friend, her protection gives me nothing; she takes me nowhere; she leads me round in hopeless, loveless circles. Returned to her source, ego Eckie is a big nothing.
Getting in touch with the me who is as God created me, has been a wonderful reconciliation not just with my holy Self, but also with my brothers. Learning to put away judgment, learning to overlook slights and wounds and boundary crossing, learning to choose the gentle, forgiving thoughts that reflect God’s love has filled me, not with a desire for vengeance or trying to prove who is the bigger badass, but rather a desire for healing, a willingness to let bygones be bygones, a tenderness that cares for the whole and not just for certain parts.
Today’s prayer fills me with peace, with love, with calmness and certainty of purpose. Let us speak the words together, asking God to illuminate the meaning in our hearts and minds:
Our Father, Your ideas reflect the truth, and my ideas apart from Yours, make stuff up. Let me only behold the reflections of Your ideas. For Your ideas and Your ideas alone establish truth. In the name of Jesus, with Whom we are one. Amen.
[1]A Course in Miracles. Workbook for Students. Lesson 325. Foundation for Inner Peace, Second Edition (1992). p. 464.
Audio credit: the friar patch @ www.eckiefriar.com
the friar patch 