We’ve Been Deceived

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

We’ve been played. All of us want the same things in life — safety, enough sustenance, a home, people we love who love us — but we’ve been convinced that we’re different and some of us are “bad”. All of the name-calling and blame-shaming has had its desired effect. We have turned against each other. For the last decade or so, we’ve all been looking over our shoulder before we speak our mind. We’ve been convinced that we’re alone in our thought systems. We’ve been confined to our little bubbles of friendships and family. Sometimes even our friends and family think differently than we do, and we have been afraid of them, too – or worse, repelled by them. While most of us could name a few things we’d like to change in our country, in our society, I don’t know of anyone who wants to throw away our beautiful ideas of democracy. Maybe it takes a complete change in order to tweak a few things. But I don’t think so. Let’s work together, for the good of all. Just the way our founders dreamed we would.

“Appearances can but deceive the mind that wants to be deceived. And you can make a simple choice that will forever place you far beyond deception. You need not concern yourself with how this will be done, for this you cannot understand. But you will understand that mighty changes have been quickly brought about, when you decide one very simple thing; you do not want whatever you believe an idol gives. For thus the Son of God declares that he is free of idols. And thus is he free.”
A Course in Miracles T-30.IV.6:1-6


A lie has only one chance of successful deception, — to be accounted true. Evil seeks to fasten all error upon God, and so make the lie seem part of eternal Truth. Emerson says, “Hitch your wagon to a star.” I say, Be allied to the deific power, and all that is good will aid your journey, as the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. (Judges v. 20.) Hourly, in Christian Science, man thus weds himself with God, or rather he ratifies a union predestined from all eternity; but evil ties its wagonload of offal to the divine chariots, — or seeks so to do, — that its vileness may be christened purity, and its darkness get consolation from borrowed scintillations.”
Unity of Good page 17:1-12