Commentary on ACIM Lesson 134

©2010 Rev. David Seacord

 

 

Let me perceive forgiveness as it is.

 

 

As I mentioned a few days ago, I 'associate widely'.  I also 'listen widely'.  (Maybe it's my Gemini ascendent, if a reason must be found.)  

 

Anyway, the other day while driving (which I normally do in silence so I can listen to my mind more easily...) I turned on the world (the radio) and (after 'surfing a bit') found myself listening to some Christian music praising God's glory in a very majestic and beautifully uplifting way, even though 'the vintage of the thinking' it expressed was not 'my cup of tea'.  But the JOY was....   I noticed I was moved by it, the same as I have often been moved by Hindu or Tibetan Buddhist chanting.  Or by singing the Zikr (a Sufi practice).  All joyous praises to the Infinite are welcome in my heart...

 

The radio music ended, and 'a preaching' began.  It was a fundamentalist sermon about prophesy and the Book of Revelation.  I listened closely, for as I have mentioned in these writings, among my siblings (there's 8 of us) I have a very fundamentalist sister (and also, a brother who is an ordained Christian minister with a Ph.d in the Bible to boot [so he's a Rev. Dr. etc, like MLK was]) and they both 'have their opinions' which they challenge me with regularly.  This presents me with 'family motive' to listen for the reality behind the words that Christian scriptures are speaking of.  

 

Back to the radio, the preacher is quoting a bunch of verses that are describing 'heaven', and he is clear he's talking about a 'real place'.  He describes John's vision as though it is 'factual evidence'. (Cause, well, it's in the Bible, so to him, it is.)  Then he says the statement that I had been listening for....  "Ladies and Gentlemen,  Heaven is going to be such a large city that it will have over 100,000 million inhabitants!  That is more people than has ever been alive in all of time....!!"  

 

I thought about that for a second.  Then I smiled.  Although maybe it was not what he intended to do, he had just let me know that there was going to be plenty of room FOR ALL OF US.  EVERYBODY GETS A PLACE IN HEAVEN TO CALL HOME....   Sweet.  Love has it all covered.  Thanks, Rev....   (and so now you know... :-)

 

Namaste, 

 

David

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Edited 'First Person' version

Lesson 134

Let me perceive forgiveness as it is.

Today let me review the meaning of "forgive," for it is apt to be distorted and to be perceived as something that entails A. an unfair sacrifice of righteous wrath, B. a gift unjustified and undeserved, and/or C.  a complete denial of the truth. In such views, forgiveness must be seen as mere eccentric folly, and this course appear to rest salvation on a whim.

This twisted view of what forgiveness means is easily corrected, when I can accept the fact that pardon is not asked for what is true. Pardonmust be limited to what is false. It is irrelevant to everything except illusions. Truth is God's creation, and to pardon that is meaningless. All truth belongs to Him, reflects His laws and radiates His Love. Does this need pardon? What possible need have I to forgive the sinless and eternally benign?

The only major difficulty that I can find in me as a barrier to genuine forgiveness on my part is that I still might believe I must forgive the truth, and not illusions. I might conceive of pardon as a vain attempt to look past what is there; to overlook the truth, in an unfounded effort to deceive myself by making an illusion true. This twisted viewpoint simply reflects the hold that the idea of sin retains as yet upon my mind, as I regard myself.

Because I can still think my sins are real, I can still look on pardon as a deception. For it is impossible to think of sin as true and not believe forgiveness is a lie. Thus is forgiveness really also a sin, like all the rest. It says the truth is false, and it smiles on the corrupt as if they were as blameless as the grass; as white as snow. It is delusional in what it thinks it can accomplish. It would see as right the plainly wrong; the loathsome as the good.

Pardon is no escape (in such views). It merely is a further sign that sin is unforgivable, at best to be concealed, denied or called another name, for pardon is a treachery to truth. Guilt cannot be forgiven. If I sin, my guilt is everlasting. Those who are forgiven (from the view their sins are real) are pitifully mocked and twice condemned; first, by themselves for what they think they did, and once again by those who pardon them.

It is sin's unreality that makes forgiveness natural and wholly sane, a deep relief to those who offer it; a quiet blessing where it is received. It does not countenance illusions, but collects them lightly, with a little laugh, and gently lays them at the feet of truth. And there they disappear entirely.

Forgiveness is the only thing that stands for truth within the illusions of the world. It sees their nothingness, and looks straight through the thousand forms in which they may appear. It looks on lies, but it is not deceived. It does not heed the self-accusing shrieks of sinners mad with guilt. It looks on them with quiet eyes, and merely says to them, "My brother, what you think is not the truth."

The strength of pardon is its honesty, which is so uncorrupted that it sees illusions as illusions, not as truth. It is because of this that it becomes the undeceiver in the face of lies; the great restorer of the simple truth. By its ability to overlook what is not there, it opens up the way to truth, which has been blocked by dreams of guilt. Now am I free to follow in 'the way' my true forgiveness opens up to me. For if one brother has received this gift of me, the door IS OPEN to myself.

There is a very simple way to find the door to true forgiveness, and perceive it open wide in welcome. Whenever/If-ever I feel that I am tempted to accuse someone of 'sin' (in any form),  I do not allow my mind to dwell on what I think he did, for that is self-deception. I ask instead, "Would I accuse myself of doing this?"

Thus will I see alternatives for choice in terms that render choosing meaningful, and keep my mind as free of guilt and pain as God Himself intended it to be, and as it is in truth. It is but lies that would condemn. In truth is innocence the only thing there is.Forgiveness stands between illusions and the truth; between the world I see and that which lies beyond; between the hell of guilt and Heaven's gate.

Across this bridge, as powerful as the holy love which laid its blessing on it, are all dreams of evil and of hatred and attack brought silently to truth. Such dreams are not kept to swell and bluster, and to terrify the foolish dreamers who believe in them. And I have been gently wakened from my dream by understanding what I thought I saw was never there. And now I cannot feel that all escape has been denied to me, for I can see beyond these dreams.

Now I do not have to fight to save myself. I do not have to kill the dragons which I thought pursued me. Nor need I erect the heavy walls of stone and iron doors I thought would make me safe. I can remove the ponderous and useless armor made to chain my mind to fear and misery. My step is light, and as I lift my foot to stride ahead, a star is left behind, to point the way to those who follow me.

Such forgiveness must be practiced, for the world cannot perceive its meaning, nor provide a guide to teach me its beneficence. There is no thought in all the world that leads to any understanding of the laws it follows, nor the Thought that it reflects. It is as alien to the world as is my own reality. And yet forgiveness joins my mind with the reality in me.

Today I practice true forgiveness, that 'the time of joining' be no more delayed. For I would meet with my reality in freedom and in peace. My practicing thus becomes the footsteps lighting up the way for all my brothers, who will follow me to the reality I share with them. That this may be accomplished, let me give a quarter of an hour twice today, and spend it with the Guide Who understands the meaning of forgiveness, and was sent to me to teach it to me. Let me ask of Him:

Let me perceive forgiveness as it is.

Then I shall choose one brother as He will direct, and catalogue his "sins," as one by one they cross my mind. I will not to dwell on any particular one of them, but realize that I am using his "offenses" only to save the world from all ideas of sin. I will briefly consider all the evil things I thought of him, and each time ask myself, "Would I condemn myself for doing this?"

By doing this, I will let him be freed from all the thoughts I had of sin in him. And now I am prepared for freedom. If I have been practicing thus far in willingness and honesty, I will begin to sense a lifting up, a lightening of weight across my chest, a deep and certain feeling of relief. The time remaining should be given to experiencing the escape from all the heavy chains I sought to lay upon my brother, but were laid by my mind upon myself instead.

I see my forgiveness also being practiced through the day, for there may still be many times when I forget its meaning and attack myself. Whenever this may occur, I will allow my mind to see through this illusion as I tell myself:

Let me perceive forgiveness as it is. 
Would I accuse myself of doing this? 
I will not lay this chain upon myself.

And in everything I do I will remember this:

No one is crucified alone, and yet no one 
can enter Heaven by himself.