ACIM Edmonton
Sarah's Reflections
Lesson 304
Let not my world obscure the sight of Christ.
Sarah's Commentary:
"Let not my world obscure the sight of Christ."
(W.304) This Lesson can be translated throughout the day to include specifics such as, "Let not this situation, this event, this feeling, this self-concept, this belief, this opinion, or this thought obscure the sight of Christ." This covers a lot of ground with what constitutes our world. We ask today: "Holy Spirit, please help me not to let my thoughts about this situation keep me from the love I am. I am willing to be wrong about the way I see this person or event. I am willing to be wrong about everything I believe or think about. Basically, I am willing to be wrong about anything unlike love that comes up in my awareness and obscures the sight of Christ, including everything in this illusory world of attack and separation."
The question is, "Do I want to hold onto my thoughts and my version of events or do I want everything in my life to be used for the purpose of awakening?" Purpose is everything! If my purpose is to know the Christ Self, then everything that shows up can be used for that purpose. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong, that is happening. There are no bad days and good days. Everything is helpful when used for the purpose of awakening to what we are. Jesus does not coerce us to accept what he is teaching. He simply shows us the consequences of our thoughts and beliefs and invites us to look at how we bring needless suffering into our lives. He shows us how we can come to a realization of who we are so we can experience the joy and peace that lies beyond our limited thinking mind.
While we can take as long as we want, he continues to urge us to choose to do the forgiveness work and asks us to think about,
"How long, O Son of God, will you maintain the game of sin?"
(W.PII.Q4.What is Sin?5.1) It is up to us. We are not being coerced. As he says,
"You are free to determine who shall be your guest, and how long he shall remain with you."
(T.11.II.7.3) (ACIM OE T.10.III.22) In other words, we invite our guest to be the ego or the Holy Spirit in each moment; it is up to us.
Undoing everything that obscures Christ's vision must become our goal if we want to know who we are. When we tune into the voice of the ego, we are basically only concerned with ourselves. We see ourselves as the center of our world, using others to get our needs met. When we recognize that
"The ego rewards fidelity to it with pain, for faith in it
is
pain,"
(T.13.IX.2.3) (ACIM OE T.13.III.12) our allegiance to it will diminish. That is why Jesus goes to great lengths to demonstrate how our belief in attack returns that attack to us. In other words, we are always hurting ourselves when we judge and attack others. When we want someone else to receive their just desserts, we are actually asking this for ourselves. Every attack thought held in our minds attracts what we don’t want.
"And what I look on is my state of mind, reflected outward."
(W.304.1.4)
What we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and think with our brains makes the illusion seem real and solid. That is precisely what the senses were made to do. That is how the ego set it up, so we would never choose against it. It all starts with our thoughts. If we hold a belief in lack, we will experience lack in our lives. The evidence for it will be seen as our not having enough. Our allegiance to our beliefs prolongs our suffering. Can a Son of God, who has everything, be lacking? The ego is committed to this world of pain and misery, even though small pleasures are thrown in here and there; but, ultimately, it is a world of suffering. All pleasures are temporary and always end in pain.
When our thoughts and perceptions are healed, everything about our world will change. Difficult situations and difficult people will just fall away. The things that seemed problematic to us before no longer matter because we see everything differently. Now we see that the seeming attacks directed our way are just a call for love. That call is simply a brother, who asks that we see who he really is beyond the seemingly attacking behaviors. To see in this way is to see with the eyes of Christ. It is to see with vision, instead of judgment.
In the Introduction to Chapter 21, we are reminded,
"Projection makes perception. The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important. It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive. Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world."
(T.21.IN.1.1-7) (ACIM OE T.21.In.1)
The world reflects what is in our mind.
"Perception is a mirror, not a fact."
(W.304.1.3) When we see through the eyes of Christ, we give only blessing to everyone and everything in the world. This is true perception, which is to see everything through the eyes of love and to overlook everything that is not the truth. To see the world through the eyes of Christ is to see everything as a reflection of truth. As we bring all our judgments and all our misperceptions to the Holy Spirit, He reinterprets them. We no longer see the world as a projection of our judgmental thoughts, our fears, our attacks, our false empathy, and our needs, but instead, we see the world as a reflection of the love in us.
This Lesson reminds us that forgiveness is the means to coming home to the Self. As we bring our mistaken perceptions to the Holy Spirit, we are being led from sin to holiness. It is a step-by-step process, but it has already been accomplished because the Atonement Principle assures us that we cannot and have not changed ourselves. In essence, blessings go out from our holy nature when the blocks to the awareness of love's presence are dissipated by the Holy Spirit, Who already knows that these blocks do not exist and have no substance.
"And I will look upon the certain signs that all my sins have been forgiven me."
(W.304.1.6) Thus, as our misperception of the world is healed, it will be reflected back to us as a forgiven world in which there is only love or a call for love.
"By their fruits ye shall know them, and they shall know themselves."
(T.9.V.9.6) (ACIM OE T.9.IV.30) When we make space for the blessing to shine through us, we receive it in that same instant. Thus, we come to know our own holiness, which is such a gift! Guilt is replaced with innocence, and we feel the holy presence in us, which is our true nature.
Sin is described in the Course as a lack of love, the home of illusions, insanity, and a game with no substance. Yet Jesus makes it clear that there is no sin. All that is needed for us to see this is that we must let our minds be changed. We have forgotten who we are. As we bring our dark secrets, our shame, and our guilt to the Holy Spirit and willingly release the thoughts of this world that obscure the sight of Christ, awareness of the truth of who we are, as the holy Child of God, returns. Now truth is reflected in everything we see.
This takes us to the end of the journey, which is the experience of the Second Coming and the total undoing of the dream.
"Forgiveness lights the Second Coming's way, because it shines on everything as one. And thus is oneness recognized at last."
(W.PII.Q9.What is the Second Coming?2.3) The means to this awakening is through forgiveness.
"Let me forgive, and thus receive salvation for the world."
(W.304.2.2) When I hold onto a grievance against a brother, I am really saying, "I don't want to go home. I'd rather stay angry with my brother."
"Every attack is a step away from this,
[peace]
and every healing thought brings it closer."
(T.11.II.1.2) (ACIM OE T.10.III.16)
Thus, we extend peace to our brothers by bringing all our grievances to the Holy Spirit for reinterpretation, so we might see them with the eyes of Christ. When we see the sameness of all brothers, it is a reflection of the Oneness we are. Differences affirm separation. Forgiveness leads us from the darkness to the light and from sin to holiness. We can become a spotless mirror in the world where only love is reflected through our Being. The return of Christ is the return to the One Mind that is all there is. The return of Jesus is not an event within time and space, but a realization, outside of this dream, that we all share the same Self.
Today, let nothing in your world obscure the sight of Christ by being willing to bring to the feet of truth all doubt thoughts, all worries, all plans, all concerns, and all thoughts that keep you prisoner to the world. Do not deny your thoughts and feelings or try to distract from them or do anything to mitigate them. Be with them by being willing to look at the beliefs that are there and the story around them, which is never the truth.
Today, we look past all illusion and affirm the truth of who we are, as perfect, whole, and complete ---as created by God. Today, I look at my mind and see distress about a situation where I feel wrongly accused. I affirm that I will not let his situation obscure the sight of Christ. I am willing to rest the story and release the feelings that I am experiencing about this person so I can receive salvation for the world.
"It needs your eyes and ears and hands and feet. It needs your voice. And most of all it needs your willingness."
(W.PII.Q9.5.2-4)
My wrong perception obscures the Christ in me. What I see is only my perception, which is a mirror of my own thoughts and never a fact. The ego argues this point vehemently, but if we stubbornly side with it, we keep ourselves in our self-made hell. We have a way out, and the way out is to look at our thoughts and feelings honestly, take responsibility for them, and be willing to turn them over to the Holy Spirit. Hanging onto them keeps us from experiencing the miracle and keeps us from the peace that we say we want.
Love and blessings, Sarah
