Day 184

Today's Lesson:

The Name of God is my inheritance.

We live by symbols. We have made up names for everything we see. Each one becomes a separate entity, identified by its own name. By this we carve it out of unity. By this we designate its special attributes, and set it off from other things by emphasizing space surrounding it. This space we lay between all things to which we give a different name; all happenings in terms of place and time; all bodies which are greeted by a name.

This space we see as setting off all things from one another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. We see something where nothing is, and see as well nothing where there is unity; a space between all things, between all things and us. Thus do we think that we have given life in separation. By this split we think we are established as a unity which functions with an independent will.

What are these names by which the world becomes a series of discrete events, of things ununified, of bodies kept apart and holding bits of mind as separate awarenesses? We gave these names to them, establishing perception as we wished to have perception be. The nameless things were given names, and thus reality was given them as well. For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as meaningful, a cause of true effect, with consequence inherent in itself.

This is the way reality is made by partial vision, purposefully set against the given truth. Its enemy is wholeness. It conceives of little things and looks upon them. And a lack of space, a sense of unity or vision that sees differently, become the threats which it must overcome, conflict with and deny.

Yet does this other vision still remain a natural direction for the mind to channel its perception. It is hard to teach the mind a thousand alien names, and thousands more. yet we believe this is what learning means; its one essential goal by which communication is achieved, and concepts can be meaningfully shared.

This is the sum of the inheritance the world bestows. And everyone who learns to think that it is so accepts the signs and symbols that assert the world is real. It is for this they stand. They leave no doubt that what is named is there It can be seen, as is anticipated. What denies that it it true is but illusion, for it is the ultimate reality. To question it is madness; to accept its presence is the proof of sanity.

Such is the teaching of the world. It is a phase of learning everyone who comes must go through. But the sooner he perceives on what it rests, how questionable are its premises, how doubtful its results, the sooner does he question its effects. Learning that stops with what the world would teach stops short of meaning. In its proper place, it serves but as a starting point from which another kind of learning can begin, a new perception can be gained, and all the arbitrary names the world bestows can be withdrawn as they are raised to doubt.

Think not we made the world. Illusions, yes! But what is true in earth and Heaven is beyond our naming. When we call upon a brother, it is to his body that we make appeal. His true Identity is hidden from us by what we believe he really is. His body makes responses to what we call him, for his mind consents to take the name we give him as his own. And thus his unity is twice denied, for we perceive him separate from us, and he accepts this separate name as his.

It would indeed be strange if we were asked to go beyond all symbols of the world, forgetting them forever; yet were asked to take a teaching function. We have need to use the symbols of the world a while. But be we not deceived by them as well. They do not stand for anything at all, and in our practicing it is this thought that will release us from them. They become but means by which we can communicate in ways the world can understand, but which we recognize is not the unity where true communication can be found.

Thus what we need are intervals each day in which the learning of the world becomes a transitory phase; a prison house from which we go into the sunlight and forget the darkness. Here we understand the Word, the Name which God has given us; the one Identity which all things share; the one acknowledgment of what is true. And then step back to darkness, not because we think it real, but only to proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world that darkness rules.

Use all the little names and symbols which delineate the world of darkness. Yet accept them not as our reality. The Holy Spirit uses all of them, but He does not forget creation has one Name, one meaning, and a single Source which unifies all things within Itself. Use all the names the world bestows on them but for convenience, yet do not forget they share the Name of God along with us.

God has no name. And yet His Name becomes the final lesson that all things are one, and at this lesson does all learning end. All names are unified; all space is filled with truth's reflection. Every gap is closed, and separation healed. The Name of God is the inheritance He gave to those who chose the teaching of the world to take the place of Heaven. In our practicing, our purpose is to let our minds accept what God has given as the answer to the pitiful inheritance we made as fitting tribute to the Son He loves.

No one can fail who seeks the meaning of the Name of God. Experience must come to supplement the Word. But first we must accept the Name for all reality, and realize the many names we gave its aspects have distorted what we see, but have not interfered with truth at all. One Name we bring into our practicing. One Name we use to unify our sight.

And though we use a different name for each awareness of an aspect of God's Son, we understand that they have but one Name, which He has given them. It is this Name we use in practicing. And through Its use, all foolish separations disappear which kept us blind. And we are given strength to see beyond them. Now our sight is blessed with blessings we can give as we receive.

Father, our Name is Yours. In It we are united with all living things, and You Who are their one Creator. What we made and call by many different names is but a shadow we have tried to cast across Your Own reality. And we are glad and thankful we were wrong. All our mistakes we give to You, that we may be absolved from all effects our errors seemed to have. And we accept the truth You give, in place of every one of them. Your Name is our salvation and escape from what we made. Your Name unites us in the oneness which is our inheritance and peace. Amen.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Have you ever had a day - or even a moment in a day - when things just clicked? When you were "on" and you knew you were doing and being what you were meant to do and be in this lifetime? I had a moment in the day yesterday like that. I was meeting with a client to plan an 2 1/2-hour workshop with their department staff of 16 people. As I listened to their description of the people in their department and talked about what they would like to see as a result of our day together, I realized that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I love dreaming and brainstorming with clients to help them see a future that is possible for them. As I asked them questions about what they would like to see the people know, feel, do, be and have after our workshop, I could see the light in their eyes and the spark of possibility for the communication among their team members. I'm really good at that. That's not who I say I am - that's who I am. There is a difference.

Now I get to create that experience for them. I love putting the pieces together, designing the workshop, putting together the PowerPoint and seeing the future for them.

Today's lesson, although quite lengthy, does remind us that the names we have given to the things in the world don't really matter. We've given names to things and to people to separate them, not to unify them. Sometimes what we say has more credence than what is real. It's not that we're lying - we really believe things to be separate and true. We really believe that we have a communication problem or a morale problem or a respect problem in our departments at work and with our kids and families at home.

Today's lesson says that as we give these names to things, reality is given them as well. "For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as meaningful." So all we need to do is trust that the miracles are bigger than our small vision. Today's text talks about how our tendency to fragment, or to separate things and people, causes us to be concerned only about a little part of the truth or a little part of the whole. And this is just a way for us to avoid seeing the miracles that are being done through us. As we keep trying to understand the "how," we keep avoiding the "what" and the "how" is the domain of the universe - of God.

The text says that "no evidence will convince us of the truth of what we do not want." We want desperately to be right, so we see only what will allow us to stay in that ego-based place. So today just give up the need to be right in order to see the miracles. Notice where things just seem to fall into place. Notice where you're in the flow - where things just go right. Notice the songs on the radio, the sun under the clouds, the voice of God in the voice of your colleague or spouse. If it's all just a game we've made up, we can make up new "rules" and can have much more fun in this lifetime than we've saddled ourselves with.

Let's get our of our Higher Self's way!