In the opening meditation for this video recording of a class given as part of the School For A Course In Miracles (SFACIM) curriculum led by Lyn Corona and Tim Wise, Bruce Rawles reads Lesson 268: Let all things be exactly as they are. (ACIM, W-268). It is vital that we look – with Holy Spirit’s help – at each specific interference we muster that would interfere with accepting the thoughts and benefits of forgiving the particulars and special (love and/or hate) aspects of whatever we encounter in our projected surreal world. When we don’t interfere, the illumination in our mind is automatic; when we do interfere, we merely cover our metaphoric eyes.
Our real nature is illuminated by our Inner Kindness Teacher’s all-inclusive, gentle, patient recognition of everyone’s eternal innocence, including each silly seemingly separate self that we made up, but overlooking all dark thoughts that seem to make separation real. Our real identity undoes this persistent resistance and happily, this complete undoing is inevitable, as we see that nothing will come of nothing – or put another way – we ultimately will abandon ego’s “seek and do not find” strategy simply because it just doesn’t work. We only need to mindfully refuse to see the ego’s sin-guilt-fear thought system (the belief in separation) each moment – more and more often in each “now moment” – until it becomes the predominant habit and eventually the only choice we consider. At this point, the need for our decision-making faculty disappears as does ego’s lonely, uncertain, fearful world.
Here is a brief excerpt from Ken Wapnick’s always brilliant commentary on Lesson 188: “Jesus does not want us to try hard, because struggling against the ego gives it a reality it lacks. Recognition of the light is not a change, for there is nothing to change from!” (from page 61 of volume 6 of Journey Through The Workbook of ACIM.
We eventually learn that for consistent peace we must be gently vigilant – consistently – against our interference with the illuminating ideas that true forgiveness offers, the Course’s Atonement that suggests that nothing outside of eternity – our real shared nature – can corrupt the unchanging innocence of the Christ Mind we all share.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this Workbook Lesson (188) from ACIM:
“1. Why wait for Heaven?²Those who seek the light are merely covering their eyes.³The light is in them now.⁴Enlightenment is but a recognition, not a change at all.⁵Light is not of the world, yet you who bear the light in you are alien here as well.⁶The light came with you from your native home, and stayed with you because it is your own.⁷It is the only thing you bring with you from Him Who is your Source.⁸It shines in you because it lights your home, and leads you back to where it came from and you are at home.
2. This light can not be lost.²Why wait to find it in the future, or believe it has been lost already, or was never there?³It can so easily be looked upon that arguments which prove it is not there become ridiculous.⁴Who can deny the presence of what he beholds in him?⁵It is not difficult to look within, for there all vision starts.⁶There is no sight, be it of dreams or from a truer Source, that is not but the shadow of the seen through inward vision.⁷There perception starts, and there it ends.⁸It has no source but this.
3. The peace of God is shining in you now, and from your heart extends around the world.²It pauses to caress each living thing, and leaves a blessing with it that remains forever and forever.³What it gives must be eternal.⁴It removes all thoughts of the ephemeral and valueless.⁵It brings renewal to all tired hearts, and lights all vision as it passes by.⁶All of its gifts are given everyone, and everyone unites in giving thanks to you who give, and you who have received.”
For a closing meditation, we read the sequel to the opening reading, Lesson 269: My sight goes forth to look upon Christ’s face. (ACIM, W-269)
“1. I ask Your blessing on my sight today. ²It is the means which You have chosen to become the way to show me my mistakes, and look beyond them. ³It is given me to find a new perception through the Guide You gave to me, and through His lessons to surpass perception and return to truth. ⁴I ask for the illusion which transcends all those I made. ⁵Today I choose to see a world forgiven, in which everyone shows me the face of Christ, and teaches me that what I look upon belongs to me; that nothing is, except Your holy Son.
2. Today our sight is blessed indeed. ²We share one vision, as we look upon the face of Him Whose Self is ours. ³We are one because of Him Who is the Son of God; of Him Who is our own Identity.”
(This YouTube video recording was made on September 25, 2023.)