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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 30 "THE NEW BEGINNING"
VIII. THE NEW INTERPRETATION
85 A common purpose is the only means whereby perception can be stabilized and one interpretation given to the world and all experiences here. In this shared purpose is one judgment shared by everyone and everything you see. You do not have to judge, for you have learned one meaning has been given everything, and you are glad to see it everywhere. It cannot change because you would perceive it everywhere, unchanged by circumstance. And so you offer it to all events, and let them offer you stability.
CHAPTER 30 VIII, 82-88
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
DAILY LESSON
WHAT IS THE LAST JUDGMENT?
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
Christ's Second Coming gives the Son of God
the gift to hear the Voice for God proclaim
that what is false is false, and what is true
has never changed. And this the judgment is
in which perception ends. At first you see
a world which has accepted this as true,
projected from a now corrected mind.
And with this holy sight, perception gives
a silent blessing and then disappears,
its goal accomplished and its mission done.
The final judgment on the world contains
no condemnation. For it sees the world
as totally forgiven, without sin,
and wholly purposeless. Without a cause,
and now without a function in Christ's sight,
it merely slips away to nothingness.
There it was born, and there it ends as well.
And all the figures in the dream in which
the world began go with it. Bodies now
are useless, and will therefore fade away,
because the Son of God is limitless.
You who believed that Gods last judgment would
condemn the world to hell along with you,
accept this holy truth: God's judgment is
the gift of the Correction He bestowed
on all your errors, freeing you from them,
and all effects they ever seemed to have.
To fear His saving grace is but to fear
complete release from suffering, return
to peace, security and happiness,
and union with your own Identity.
God's final judgment is as merciful
as every step in His appointed plan
to save His Son, and call Him to return
to the eternal peace He shares with him.
Be not afraid of Love. For It alone
can heal all sorrow, wipe away all tears,
and gently waken from his dreams of pain
the Son whom God acknowledges as His.
Be not afraid of this. Salvation asks
you give it welcome. And the world awaits
your glad acceptance, which will set it free.
This is God's final judgment: "You are still
My holy Son, forever innocent,
forever loving and forever loved,
as limitless as Your Creator, and
completely changeless and forever pure.
Therefore awaken and return to Me.
I am Your Father, and you are My Son.
~ Original Hand Script
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
DAILY LESSON
L e s s o n 319
I came for the salvation of the world.
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
<VIDEO>
Here is a thought from which all arrogance
has been removed, and only truth is left.
For arrogance opposes truth. And when
there is no arrogance, the truth will come
immediately, and fill up the space
the ego left unoccupied by lies.
Only the ego can be limited,
and therefore it must seek for aims which are
curtailed and limiting. The ego thinks
that what one gains totality must lose.
And yet it is the Will of God I learn
that what one gains is given unto all.
Father, Your Will is total, and the goal
that stems from It shares Its totality.
What aim but the salvation of the world
could You have given me? And what but this
could be the Will my Self has shared with You?
~ Original Handscript of ACIM
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
LESSON 319
I came for the salvation of the world.
Sarah's Commentary:
Many times in this Course, we are told that it is arrogant to oppose the truth and to accept the limited self as what we are. The truth is that we are the unlimited Self. It is the Christ Self that brings salvation to the world. It cannot come from the self we think we are.
"Only the ego can be limited, and therefore it must seek for aims which are curtailed and limiting."
(W.319.1.4) Because we think we are curtailed and limited when we identify with the ego, we set goals that are limited and self-serving. We try to achieve these goals, but it is always at the expense of our brothers. "For specialness not only sets apart, but serves as grounds from which attack on those who seem
'
beneath
'
the special one is
'
natural
'
and
'
just
'
."
(T.24.I.4.4) (ACIM OE T.24.II.6) To the ego, it is a game of competition based on the principle of "one or the other." You must lose, for me to win. It is based on the belief that we won our individual and separate self at God's expense. He had to lose for us to gain our independence. It seems as though we stole our individual self by destroying the totality of the Whole. In other words, we had to "kill" God. Oneness can't exist as long as we believe that we exist as a separate self. Thus, our gain as a separate self came at the expense of totality. To gain this world of separation and duality, we had to destroy Oneness/God. This is what seemed to happen in the original instant when the choice was made for the ego thought system. Of course, we are told this never could happen except in dreams. The Atonement Principle assures us that it could not happen even if we currently still believe in our individual existence.
Our identification with the ego is all about the limited self, which can never bring salvation to the world. So if we think we are doing good through our service to the world, it does nothing if driven by ego goals. Salvation can only come from the truth of who I am as the unified Self. Thus, the salvation of the world can only come through healing of the mind. It requires a deep level of surrender where we ask for help to see differently. It is about undoing our mistaken identity.
In the thought system of the ego, we hold the belief that totality must lose for us to gain, but through the healing of our minds, we come to the realization that we have been mistaken. No one loses and everyone gains. Salvation rests on the fact that we must all gain if we are to know the Self that we are. "Would it be possible for you to hate your brother if you were like him? Could you attack him if you realized you journey with him to a goal that is the same. Would you not help him reach it in every way you could, if his attainment of it were perceived as yours? You are his enemy in specialness; his friend in a shared purpose. Specialness can never share, for it depends on goals that you alone can reach. And he must never reach them, or your goal is jeopardized. Can love have meaning where the goal is triumph? And what decision can be made for this that will not hurt you?" (T.24.I.6.1-8) (ACIM OE T.24.II.8) As we come to recognize that we are the same, the Oneness of Heaven is reflected in this realization.
God is the Author of reality, and as such, His Will embraces all there is. "And the goal which stems from it shares its totality." (W.319.2.2) In other words, a separate self cannot exist. We are part of the totality, dreaming instead that we are separate selves. "What aim but the salvation of the world could You have given me?" (W.319.2.3) What else is there to learn from our experience in this world except to realize, we are mistaken in our belief in separate goals. It is by remembering our purpose and our function to bring salvation to the world and to awaken from this dream through forgiveness that we come to know the Self we are. All our experiences in the world can serve this purpose. We have one aim, which is to bring salvation to the world. It is when the veil is lifted and we see the Christ in our brother and accept the truth about ourselves that we are saved and the world is saved along with us. It is not a statement of arrogance because it is not what we do, but what we are.
We read the same thing in Lesson 186: "Salvation of the world depends on me." (W.186) "Here is the statement that will one day take all arrogance away from every mind. Here is the thought of true humility, which holds no function as your own but that which has been given you. It offers your acceptance of a part assigned to you, without insisting on another role." (W.186.1.1-3) With this, and other references such as this, we start to get the idea that to insist that we know better than God about what He says is true is the real definition of arrogance. To accept God's word as to who we really are is to be truly humble. We release the "I know" mind and admit that we have been wrong in thinking our separate identity and unique self is who we are. We give up the beliefs, values, and concepts we hold that we are unworthy, little, limited, and lacking. We accept the truth about ourselves as limitless by recognizing that we can never gain at the expense of our brother. We recognize that when we make comparisons, find fault with others, or see ourselves as superior, we maintain the belief that we have killed God and thus gained this separate self and are now in competition with everyone else.
Today, we are asked to look at the thoughts we hold that block the truth. Yesterday, I was upset about a situation where I felt set up and abused. I immediately believed this upset was because of something that happened, but that was just my story. Anything that follows "because" is part of the justification for our upsets. The truth is that I was upset because it is what I wanted. So, one may wonder, why would any of us want to be upset? Jesus explains that we choose to be upset because we want to be right about the way we see our world. I want to be right about my reasons for the upset, and I tell my story because I want others to agree with me. To drop the story, and to admit that I am wrong in the way I see this situation seems like an affront to my own understanding of the situation.
This is why it is so challenging for us to admit that we are always wrong in our perceptions. Now we are called to turn to the Holy Spirit and to ask for His interpretation in everything. I have given meaning to an event that has no meaning. It is neutral. Everything in the world is neutral. However, we give it meaning and throw away our happiness, which is our birthright, because we would rather be right than happy. We prefer our way and defend our thoughts because truth threatens our individuality and our specialness. Now we are called to see how mistaken we are about who we think we are.
When we experience any irritation or feelings of impatience or superiority or compare ourselves with anyone it is because we want to be separate. Yet it is important not to judge ourselves when we become aware of the ego program. We are cautioned not to condemn ourselves for not being more spiritual. That simply can never work because, whether we judge ourselves or anyone else, it is all the same. It keeps us at the mercy of the judgmental ego. All we need do is to look, without condemnation, at our beliefs and judgments and be willing to see that we are wrong and be willing to give out misperceptions over to be healed. We can't heal ourselves. All we can do is bring our thoughts and beliefs to awareness. Our willingness is what makes the power of the Holy Spirit possible in bringing a new interpretation to every situation we encounter.
Some blocks are so subtle that we seem not to even notice them, but these seemingly small irritations build up during the day until we feel depressed or angry, and we wonder why. We need to pay more attention to what is going on inside of us, and not to give attention to what is going on outside of us. Judging and criticizing others will never be helpful to our awakening, but when we are willing to honestly and courageously look at the judgments we are making and bring them to the truth, then ultimately there is a recognition that we all share the same purpose. This requires a level of alertness to our thoughts that we are not used to, which is why mind-training is so important. Jesus reminds us that whenever we forget our purpose, "will the world remind you gently of what you have taught." (T.27.V.7.2) (ACIM OE T.27.VI.49) There will be many witnesses to what is going on in our minds, and they are called forth as reflections of our own thoughts, as the world is just a mirror of those thoughts.
In an article by Jon Mundy, he writes that what brings us sorrow is when we try to force things to happen the way we think we want them to happen. For the mystic, nothing has to happen. "Recognize what does not matter, and if your brothers ask you for something 'outrageous,' do it because it does not matter." (T.12.III.4.1) (ACIM OE T.11.IV.27) I notice how much suffering I bring into my life when I make something matter. Jon reminded me in his article, we truly can discover new freedom when we let our rules go of how we think things should be and simply accept what is. He wrote that when we say "whatever," it simply means it does not matter. It means that it is truly not important. When we get this, we can let go of being offended, disappointed, or upset by what someone has done.
Again, what is it to be the savior of the world? What are we being asked to do? Quite simply, we are to be the light of the world. We are to be happy. Happiness is our function. We bring joy by our very Being when we make space for truth. "But when there is no arrogance the truth will come immediately, and fill up the space the ego left unoccupied by lies." (W.319.1.3) As we willingly bring the darkness to the light and look to the truth beyond, we experience trust and confidence that grow in power and freedom. It is a matter of reclaiming our projections and recognizing what does not matter.
"Who is the light of the world except God's Son? This, then, is merely a statement of the truth about yourself. It is the opposite of a statement of pride, of arrogance, or of self-deception. It does not describe the self-concept you have made. It does not refer to any of the characteristics with which you have endowed your idols. It refers to you as you were created by God. It simply states the truth."
(W.61.1.1-7)
We have made a commitment to healing and to remember who we are. It is what we are committed to do through this Course. Let's recommit today to affirm this aim for ourselves so we can strengthen our resolve and our motivation. We do grow weary and become resistant from time to time, but we are not asked to force ourselves. In fact, it is not helpful to do so. When discouragement and resistance are high, it may be time to relax and take a break. When we are ready to recommit, we are renewed and strengthened, and our confidence grows.
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Chapter Thirty
The New Beginning
CHAPTER 30 VIII, 82-88
Voice and Music by Martin Weber, CIMS SonShip Radio
VIII. The New Interpretation
82 Would God have left the meaning of the world to your interpretation? If He had, it has no meaning. For it cannot be that meaning changes constantly and yet is true. The Holy Spirit looks upon the world as with one purpose, changelessly established. And no situation can affect its aim but must be in accord with it. For only if its aim could change with every situation could each one be open to interpretation which is different every time you think of it. You add an element into the script you write for every minute in the day, and all that happens now means something else. You take away another element, and every meaning shifts accordingly.
83 What do your scripts reflect except your plans for what the day
should be? And thus you judge disaster and success, advance, retreat, and gain and loss. These judgments all are made according to the roles the script assigns. The fact they have no meaning in themselves is demonstrated by the ease with which these labels change with other judgments made on different aspects of experience. And then in looking back you think you see another meaning in what went before. What have you really done except to show there
was no meaning there? But you assigned a meaning in the light of goals that change with every meaning shifting as they change.
84 Only a constant purpose can endow events with stable meaning. But it must accord
one meaning to them all. If they are given different meanings, it must be that they reflect but different purposes. And this is all the meaning that they have. Can this
be meaning? Can confusion be what meaning means? Perception cannot be in constant flux and make allowance for stability of meaning anywhere. Fear is a judgment never justified. Its presence has no meaning but to show you wrote a fearful script and are afraid accordingly. But not because the thing you fear has fearful meaning in itself.
85 A common
purpose is the only means whereby perception can be stabilized and one interpretation given to the world and all experiences here. In this shared purpose is one judgment shared by everyone and everything you see. You do not have to judge, for you have learned one meaning has been given everything, and you are glad to see it everywhere. It cannot change
because you would perceive it everywhere, unchanged by circumstance. And so you
offer it to all events, and let them offer you stability.
86 Escape from judgment simply lies in this---all things have but one purpose which you share with all the world. And nothing in the world can be opposed to it, for it belongs to everything as it belongs to you. In single purpose is the end of all ideas of sacrifice, which must assume a different purpose for the one who gains and him who loses. There could be no thought of sacrifice apart from this idea. And it is this idea of different goals which makes perception shift and meaning change. In one united goal does this become impossible, for your agreement makes interpretation stabilize and last.
87 How can communication really be established while the symbols which are used mean different things? The Holy Spirit's goal gives one interpretation, meaningful to you and to your brother. Thus can you communicate with him and he with you. In symbols which you both can understand, the sacrifice of meaning is undone. All sacrifice entails the loss of your ability to see relationships among events. And looked at separately, they
have no meaning. For there is no light by which they can be seen and understood. They have no purpose. And what they are for cannot be seen. In any thought of loss, there
is no meaning. No one has agreed with you on what it means. It is a part of a distorted script which cannot be interpreted with meaning. It must be forever unintelligible. This is not communication. Your dark dreams are but the senseless, isolated scripts you write in sleep. Look not to separate dreams for meaning. Only dreams of pardon can be shared. They mean the same to both of you.
88 Do not interpret out of solitude, for what you see means nothing. It will shift in what it stands for, and you will believe the world is an uncertain place in which you walk in danger and uncertainty. It is but your
interpretations which are lacking in stability, for they are not in line with what you really are. This is a state so seemingly unsafe that fear
must rise. Do not continue thus, my brothers. We have
one Interpreter. And through His use of symbols are we joined so that they mean the same to all of us. Our common language lets us speak to all our brothers and to understand with them forgiveness has been given to us all, and thus we can communicate again.
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