The illusion that transcends all those I made, which this Lesson talks about, is the illusion of forgiveness. "I ask for the illusion which transcends all those I made." (W.269.1.4) It is an illusion because there is nothing to forgive, but it is an illusion that ends all illusions we have made because, through forgiveness, we see beyond illusions to the truth. Through forgiveness, we see our mistakes and are helped to "look beyond them" to the truth. (W.269.1.2) Our sight is blessed so we can see the Christ in our brothers instead of seeing our guilt in them. It is based first on a choice we must make and it is not thrust upon us. We must want to see our brothers' innocence, but first we must want to see our own mistakes. We won't see the Christ in our brother without first recognizing our own judgments about him, and what I want to see in my brother "belongs to me." (W.269.1.5) For as I see the Christ in my brother, and see his innocence and his holiness, I will know my own. That is now a very familiar concept to us and yet we need to be reminded again and again of the power of that truth, that what we give we receive for ourselves as we give it.  

If we understood "All that I give is given to myself," (W.P.I.126) forgiveness would be effortless. We would be highly motivated to see innocence in everyone. There would be nothing then to forgive. It is not about overlooking the terrible things someone has done. There is no gain to us in this kind of "charity." In fact, if I think you have done something to hurt me and yet I am required to forgive it, it is trying to forgive something I have made real. By bringing the error to the truth, the Holy Spirit heals our misperceptions and we will then see what we made real in our minds is not so. "It is always an interpretation that gives rise to negative emotions, regardless of their seeming justification by what appears as facts." (M.17.4.2)

"If anger comes from an interpretation and not a fact, it is never justified." (M.17.8.6) Ultimately, all of our anger comes only from our interpretations and that is what needs to be forgiven. "Perhaps it will be helpful to remember that no one can be angry at a fact." (M.17.4.1)
 

When I am angry, irritated, confused, and disappointed with someone or simply don't like them, when I want them to change in some way so I can be happy, when I look at what someone should do or should not be doing, when I think about what I need from anyone for me to be happy, when I judge anyone, when I think about things I don't want to experience with someone, when I want to win at someone's expense, in all of these situations, I need to see in them the projection of my own anger, my irritation, my confusion, my disappointment, my expectations, my judgments, my jealousies, and my own hatred. All of it is a projection of what is in my own mind. "Perception is a mirror, not a fact." (W.PII.304.1.3) That is why it only takes one to heal any relationship-me. It does not require we continue to be with that person in form for the relationship to be healed. It is only about what we are choosing in our own minds. We may, for example, be in the midst of a divorce. Yet we can choose to see any situation through the eyes of love when we ask for help to forgive ourselves for our judgments. The choice for truth requires the decision to forgive, "which You have chosen to become the way to show me my mistakes, and look beyond them." (W.269.1.5)  The question is, "Am I willing?" And yes, it does take a lot of willingness when the ego is shouting for retribution.  

Hate needs a target. "Thus were specifics made." (W.PI.161.3.1) If I condemn others for gossiping about me or betraying me, I can be certain the judgment has started with my own unconscious guilt. Projecting it outward is how we defend ourselves from looking within. We are so convinced by our senses what we see in the world is reality. The problem is we have reversed cause and effect. Thus, we see events of the world as the cause of what we are feeling when, in fact, our own minds are the cause. In other words, we have guilt in the mind, which we don't want, so we project it out and the world delivers the punishment we believe we have coming to us. Projection is how we disown responsibility for our own inward condition. Now, instead of unity and oneness, we see a world of sickly forms as discussed in the Lesson yesterday. This is our blasphemous sight with all of our own judgments put on the sickly forms. Stripped away, we would only see the formless, divine nature of all beings. We would see beyond the body and the personality to the essence of Being. None of this can happen by our own willpower. No matter how much we may want to see the Christ in our brother, it can only happen with the help of our Guide. However we must do our part in being willing to release the blocks to true perception.
 

Am I willing to let go of the way I set up the situation? Am I willing to allow a shift in my perception? It is simply a choice...a decision. The Holy Spirit is there in our minds, and Help is available upon our sincere request. Notice how the ego resists. It yells loudly, "I am entitled to my way of seeing this situation. I am justified in my anger! And I am right!" Yet if someone says something to me that is painful, I can only be hurt if I believe this about myself. Otherwise it would have no effect. The world is a mirror that shows me the state of my mind. How else would I ever know what is in my mind? How do I know the person who has just left me is not meant to be with me any longer? Simple. That person is no longer there! Our relationships are "the means which You have chosen to become the way to show me my mistakes, and look beyond them." (W.269.1.2)