Slowly I am coming back around
to a place of quiet assuredness – rather than the frenzied whirling Tasmanian
devil of old cartoons. Thank goodness! Selling a house is not for spiritual
sissies.
The headlined message in the
recent issue of The Holy Encounter [September
/ October 2015, Miracle Distribution Center. www.miraclecenter.org]
is entitled The Gift of Salvation by Beverly Hutchinson McNeff. It is
excellent. She writes:
“A Course in Miracles tells us truth is true and only what God created
is real. What God created is eternal and can never change. Right there you can
see that truth and reality have nothing to do with the world or our bodies [both
of which] are constantly changing. It
does, however, have everything to do with our spirit and our loving thoughts,
which are eternal and the only things that are true about any situation in
which we find ourselves.
“This does not mean, though, that we deny the world or our bodies, for
to deny them is to give them more power than they deserve. If the world is not
real and the body is not who we are, our focus should be on who and what are
real rather than on denying an illusion. We spend way too much time talking
about our problems rather than focusing on the solution. As the Course tells
us, ‘To be in the Kingdom is merely to focus your full attention on it.’
[T-7.III.4:1]
“The world will be transformed as we focus our attention on what is
true. This takes practice; not because truth is hard to learn but because we
have become so comfortable with the lies. Peace is possible here, forgiveness
is the key to happiness, and God Himself shall wipe away all our tears. It’s
time for us to stop thinking the Course was written for the other guy to
follow. It was written for us! That’s why the only question God’s Voice asks
each one of us is: ‘Are you ready yet to help Me save the world?’ [C-2.9:1]
“[Why would we not say ‘Yes, I am ready?’] … probably because we see
ourselves and others as guilty; after all, look at this world! It’s a mess. And
from our current perspective, we see no way out. But if you look for the
‘mess,’ you will see the mess. Jesus’ time was just as hateful and chaotic, and
he still came to bring us the message that love is stronger than hate and peace
is more powerful than attack. His entire life was a testament to this shift in
perception and that is exactly what a miracle is!”
I think that’s what I saw as I
watched Pope Francis these past several days. I saw mine and other’s
perceptions shifting and bending and twisting. Here was a powerful man
surrounded by police motorcades, armored cars, bulletproof glass and armed,
alert “protectors” of all stripes. Well, where was he in all this? In his
little black 4-seater Fiat or in his converted Jeep pope-mobile. It was like
watching a pod of orcas, dolphins, and 40-ton whales swimming around in order
to protect a trout.
His openness, inclusiveness, and
unbridled desire to be, not with the powerful but with the “least of these” –
reflected, as well, in his words as he addressed White House guests, Congress,
and the U.N. General Assembly – spoke volumes. His beaming smile was
infectious. It was a true reflection of his joy – as he embraced children
lifted to him by their parents or his bodyguards and as he sought out and
embraced the infirmed. He beamed. The children beamed. Their parents beamed.
What he did, the joy with which
he did it, and the words of his straightforward addresses were all simply facets
of the same message: “I’m here. I’m
overjoyed to see you. I love you. I care for you. You are not alone. Be happy
with each other. Love and serve each other. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what
we are to do. It will change the world”
The impact of his open, honest,
straightforward and joyous Self was palpable. I could see it ripple through the
crowds. I could see it in the face of the Speaker of the House. I could see it
the dazzling smiles of the President, the Vice President, as well as their
families. I could see it in conservative and progressive politicians alike.
It was transformative. It was a
glimpse of the reality A Course in Miracles is trying to teach me.
It is not about dogma. It is not
about perceived biblical truths. It is not about ecclesiastical polity or
programs. It is not about cerebral, structured theology. It is about joy. It is about peace of mind. What
I witnessed was how our loving thoughts – expressed as joy and peace – can be
used by the Holy Spirit to change the world.
What a week!
Although these messages are
mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this
message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual
journey.
Don
#2 Sep 2015
Copyright 2015
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