The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.
Let me not forget my function.
Healing is specific. We heal the world not from far away but from the heart of it – right here in the very bodies and circumstances that are given. There is no world but this! And when we see that, then we can see more clearly that there is no world.
Forgiveness – which, reflecting the Vision of Christ, does not perceive wrongs but rather wholeness in which wrongness does not exist as even a possibility – is a gift to us. We learn it is our gift by using it; indeed, we learn it is a gift by using it.
Its use confirms our function. We are here to make happy and, in happiness, to remember the abstract perfection that is reality.
I would not forget my function, because I would remember my self . . . And unless I fulfill my function, I will not experience the joy that God intends for me (W-pI.82.3:2, 4).
What does this mean in practice? The ACIM workbook lessons are a clue. They urge us into direct relationship with our brothers and sisters; they move us away from abstraction and into practice.
Let peace extend from my mind to yours, [name].
I share the light of the world with you, [name] (W-pI.82.2:2-3).
In this way, we effectively lean into the illusion we appear to be living in order to fully present to it as learners and sharers. We aren’t here to solve big metaphysical problems, fun and interesting as they can be. We are here to give attention to our brothers and sisters, and to be as kind and patient and loving as we can be.
Forgiveness is the means by which we do this. Of our own self, our capacity for kindness and patience (and gentleness and generosity and . . . ) are always compromises, always conditional. But forgiveness allows us to settle into depths of love, the extension of which amazes us – because it defies the ego’s limited and limiting definitions of self – and thus teaches us what we are in truth.
My forgiveness is the means by which I become aware of the light of the world in me. My forgiveness is the mans by which the world is healed, together with myself (W-pI.82.1:3-4).
This, then, is the essence of our ACIM practice: we become willing and open-minded to learn that we are love itself. And – to the very extent of our readiness – that is precisely the lesson we learn.
Thank you for this video Sean. l love your idea of “sharing reality” …
Many people seem to be constantly weighed down by their conditioned egoic minds. Yesterday, as l walked from the local supermarket to my place it was beautiful outside. The sun was shining, the plants were glistening and the sounds of birds all around left happy sounds. And yet, each time l walked past a couple of people, I heard them complaining about something their egoic minds would have them believe in, rather than enjoying the beautiful weather and the loveliness all around. And l thought again ‘What a waste that children are not taught at school about awareness of who they really are, rather than constantly teaching them to believe the opposite, which would have them believe that they are who they are not’. But I digress.
Today I reviewed this lesson:
‘The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness”.
As I had pondered its deeper meaning, it was as if the true Self in me, which you spoke about in the video, helped me to make the connections between the deeper meanings and layers embedded in this statement.
What came to me, or rather was brought to me, was an understanding and experience of the phenomenal and profoundness of this idea.
I had a revelation or experience of the ‘One Mind’, or the unified consciousness, in which the perfect beauty of it connected to my mind and my mind connected to the perfection of it. It is breathtakingly sublime, perfect and divine. l realised that the conditioned egoic mind is not connected to the ‘One Mind’, only the divine mind is connected to it. The absolute peace, safety and protection of it is sublimely perfect. lt is very inadequate to describe in words that which is perfect, but the sheer profound beauty and perfection of it was enough to bring me to my knees. Not only did my mind connect to it, but so did my ‘inner light’. l felt and knew my inner divinity was and is connected to the inner light and divine minds within the unified consciousness. l had a trembling feeling in my stomach from experiencing it.
I was communicating awareness with the ‘One Mind’, through the help of The Holy spirit, my mind and my inner being. l knew then that, when l have thoughts about, and am aware of ‘bringing peace to the world, thoughts about forgiveness, gentleness, ease, and my inner light’, all of these thoughts and all this awareness is communicated, via my connection to the ‘One Mind’ or unified consciousness.
I knew then that everyone’s right mind’, is connected to it and communicating with it on a sublime and very subtle level that we are usually unaware of. This is why, when we practice the Course lessons and principals, we are bringing peace to every mind and why …
‘The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness’.
But, in my opinion to know it is an experience, rather than a mental concept. When experienced via subtle communication and powerful feelings, it is known and too beautiful for mere words to express the enormity, profoundness and perfection of it.
This revelation or experience, links back to a previous experience l had while meditating and observed the ‘One Mind’. So, todays profound experience was also accompanied by images l had while meditating, that were brought back into my awareness by the Holy Spirit.
The lessons words:
“Let me then, forgive the world, that it may be healed along with me”,
Are in my experience, profoundly beautiful and true.
Blessings,
Jayney
Thank you for sharing, Jayney. Judging others is straight-up ego! It always involves, however subtly, the idea that we’ve got it and somebody else does not. It’s hard to see this and hard to accept it because we are working at the course, and our intentions are good, and we’ve come such a long way.
And yet.
I am very grateful for the moments when I see how I am judging my brothers and sisters. It is never justified! It is always a projection of my own ego. And so it is always an opportunity to become responsible for projection and to learn again that I am no different than anybody else – we all believe we are separate, we all believe that we are better than somebody, and we are all perceiving differences and judging them as more or less valuable.
The folks that we judge are our teachers: they are Christ, reminding us to be humble and to choose again.
Thank you so much for being here and sharing!
Love,
Sean