PART II. SECTION 5: WHAT IS THE BODY?
Lesson 263 My Holy Vision Sees All Things As Pure
- Father, Your Mind created all that is. Your Spirit entered into it; Your Love gave life to it. And would I look upon what You created as if it could be made sinful? I would not perceive such dark and fearful images. A madman’s dream is hardly fit to be my choice, instead of all the loveliness with which You blessed creation; all its purity, its joy, and its eternal, quiet home in You.
- And while we still remain outside the gate of Heaven, let us look on all we see through holy vision and the eyes of Christ. Let all appearances seem pure to us, that we may pass them by in innocence, and walk together in our Father’s house as brother and the holy Sons of God.[1]
Notes and Personal Application How do we see all things as pure when the world around us rages and whirls with wrongdoing, strife, and terror? The rapists, and killers, psychopaths and bums, drug dealers and human traffickers, plotters, liars, and cheats – are we really called to see this as pure? Who are we kidding?
It is easy for us to balk at today’s lesson. It sounds as if Christ is asking us to walk through this life wearing rose-tinted glasses, in an imaginary world of love, peace, and joy while the world is fraught with starvation, floods, fires, and violence. Instead of allowing the ego to tempt us to resist our lesson today, let us quiet our minds and hearts and humbly ask the Lord to show us the meaning of our lesson.
In every situation, in every moment we make a choice whether we are going to see through the eyes of the ego or the eyes of Christ. When we use holy vision, we bring forgiveness, love, joy, gratitude, and peace to every circumstance. Being one with Christ, means that we walk with intentions of true helpfulness instead of promoting more violence, shame, guilt, and sorrow. We no longer buy into the world’s interpretation of others. Instead of standing around gossiping and condemning others for their perceived wrongdoing or social foibles, in Christ we see this as an opportunity to offer forgiveness, restoration, and healing. We find ourselves no longer able or willing to maintain status or find meaning in our material possessions, our social caste, or professional standing.
As long as we are in human form, we continue to see with our eyes of flesh, but instead of promoting condemnation, punishment, and fear – as Sons of God – we look upon all that is wrong as a mistake that can be corrected. We understand that the world of separation, change, and time cannot be real because it is perceived as separate from God and from one another. While the path is narrow to truth and broad to illusion, all is takes is a few that seek to align themselves with Christ, the few that would take this stand against the unreality of this world and stand for the reality of God’s Kingdom. When the ego’s messengers are screaming, “Kill, maim, destroy,” Holy Spirit is quietly calling us to forgive, heal, and restore.
Today we pray with reverence and understanding:
Father, Thank you for the eyes of Christ. That we may see purity and innocence instead of bloodshed and violence. That we may walk in our humanity safe from all the wiles of the enemy that would tempt us from the path to You. We give you our human eyes so that they may see only to inform us where we can be of use. We give you our human tongue so that it will no longer condemn, mock, or put down, but that it may be used to uplift. We give you our human ears so that we hear only calls for love and to love.
We ask that all living things are awakened from the insane dream of separation. Deliver us from our craven natures, our false perceptions, from our blinded eyes, deafened ears, and cruel tongue. Let us walk in purity and innocence trusting fully in You. In the name of Jesus with Whom we are one. Amen.
[1]A Course in Miracles. Workbook for Students. Lesson 263. Foundation for Inner Peace, Second Edition (1992).
Audio credit: the friar patch at http://www.eckiefriar.com
