Day 198

Today's Lesson:

Only my condemnation injures me.

Injury is impossible. And yet illusion makes illusion. If we can condemn, we can be injured. For we have believed that we can injure, and the right we have established for ourselves can be now used against us, till we lay it down as valueless, unwanted and unreal. Then does illusion cease to have effects, and those it seemed to have will be undone. Then are we free, for freedom is our git, and we can now receive the gift we gave.

Condemn and we are made a prisoner. Forgive and we are freed. Such is the law that rules perception. It is not a law that knowledge understands, for freedom is a part of knowledge. To condemn is thus impossible in truth. What seems to be its influence and its effects have not occurred at all. Yet must we deal with them a while as if they had. Illusion makes illusion. Except one. Forgiveness is illusion that is answer to the rest.

Forgiveness sweeps all other dreams away, and though it is itself a dream, it breeds no others. All illusions save this one must multiply a thousandfold. But this is where illusions end. Forgiveness is the end of dreams, because it is a dream of waking. It is not itself the truth. Yet does it point to where the truth must be, and gives direction with the certainty of God Himself. It is a dream in which the Son of God awakens to his Self and to his Father, knowing They are one.

Forgiveness is the only road that leads out of disaster, past all suffering, and finally away from death. How could there be another way, when this one is the plan of God Himself? And why would we oppose it, quarrel with it, seek to find a thousand ways in which it must be wrong; a thousand other possibilities?

Is it not wiser to be glad we hold the answer to our problems in our hand? Is it not more intelligent to thank the One Who gives salvation, and accept His gift with gratitude? And is it not a kindness to ourselves to hear His Voice and learn the simple lessons He would teach, instead of trying to dismiss His words, and substitute our own in place of His?

His words will work. his words will save. His words contain all hope, all blessing and all joy that ever can be found upon this earth. His words are born in God, and come to us with Heaven's love upon them. Those who hear His words have heard the song of Heaven. For these are the words in which all merge as one at last. And as this one will fade away, the Word of God will come to take its place, for it will be remembered then and loved.

This world has many seeming separate haunts where mercy has no meaning, and attack appears as justified. Yet all are one; a place where death is offered to God's Son and to his Father. We may think They have accepted. But if we will look again upon the place where we beheld Their blood, we will perceive a miracle instead. How foolish to believe that They could die! How foolish to believe we can attack! How mad to think that we could be condemned, and that the holy Son of God can die!

The stillness of our Self remains unmoved, untouched by thoughts like these, and unaware of any condemnation which could need forgiveness. Dreams of any kind are strange and alien to the truth. And what but truth could have a Thought which builds a bridge to it that brings illusions to the other side?

Today we practice letting freedom come to make its home with us. The truth bestows these words upon our minds, that we may find the key to light and let the darkness end:

Only my condemnation injures me.
Only my own forgiveness sets me free.

Do not forget today that there can be no form of suffering that fails to hide an unforgiving thought. Nor can there be a form of pain forgiveness cannot heal.

Accept the one illusion which proclaims there is no condemnation in God's Son, and Heaven is remembered instantly; the world forgotten, all its weird beliefs forgotten with it, as the face of Christ appears unveiled at last in this one dream. This is the gift the Holy Spirit holds for us from God our Father. Let today be celebrated both on earth and in our holy home as well. Be kind to Both, as we forgive the trespasses we thought Them guilty of, and see our innocence shining upon us from the face of Christ.

Now is there silence all around the world. Now is there stillness where before here was a frantic rush of thoughts that made no sense. Now is there tranquil light across the face of earth, made quiet in a dreamless sleep. And now the Word of God alone remains upon it. Only that can be perceived an instant longer. Then are symbols done, and everything we ever thought we made completely vanished from the mind that God forever knows to be His only Son.

There is no condemnation in him. He is perfect in his holiness. He needs no thoughts of mercy. Who could give him gifts when everything is his? And who could dream of offering forgiveness to the Son of Sinlessness Itself, so like to Him Whose Son he is, that to behold the Son is to perceive no more, and only know the Father? In this vision of the Son, so brief that not an instant stands between this single sight and timelessness itself, we see the vision of ourselves, and then we disappear forever into God.

Today we come still nearer to the end of everything that yet would stand between this vision and our sight. And we are glad that we have come this far, and recognize that He Who brought us here will not forsake us now. For He would give to us the gift that God has given us through Him today. Now is the time for our deliverance. The time has come. The time has come today.

Miracles I'm noticing:

As I read today's lesson, I can't help but think about a murder that happened here in Fargo over the weekend. This is big news in Fargo, because murders are very rare. I had heard about this 16-year-old girl who died in her home (it was in the paper on Sunday). Often when teens die in their homes, it is suicide. I got an email on Monday morning (it was sent to a large group of people) from a very good friend of mine who said that the story in the paper was that of his niece. He said the matter was still under investigation and they didn't have the details yet. This morning I heard on the radio that there was a 15-year-old boy in custody for the murder.

So I'm thinking about today's lesson. "Only my condemnation injures me." Since there is only me and I am 100% responsible for everything that comes into my space, I'm wondering how I can clean this. My rational mind wants to figure out why this happened and what the higher purpose might be in this situation. We've all heard the Billy Joel song "Only the Good Die Young," so I'm thinking that this girl had already served her purpose on this earth and was on to bigger and better things. But then I think about the 15-year-old boy and I wonder how this happened to be his lot in this life. If we are always evolving, and if only the good die young, what is his story?

And then I'm reminded of today's lesson again, and I read "condemn and I am made a prisoner. Forgive and I am freed. Such is the law that rules perception. It is not a law that knowledge understands, for freedom is a part of knowledge." And I know I need to stop trying to understand and just accept. I need to do my own cleaning by repeating the mantra I learned from Joe Vitale's book Zero Limits: "I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."

Today's lesson continues: "Forgiveness is the only road that leads out of disaster, past all suffering, and finally away from death. How could there be another way, when this one is the plan of God Himself? And why would I oppose it, quarrel with it, seek to find a thousand ways in which it must be wrong; a thousand other possibilities?"

Only my forgiveness sets me free. That is truly a miracle in the midst of a seeming tragedy. "I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."