To Forgive or Not?

PC: Heather Peters

“All that I give is given to myself”. This ACIM lesson causes me to look at what I give by way of my everyday actions. I would hope I’m giving happiness, peace, love, compassion — but sometimes I give judgment, condemnation, self-righteous thoughts, and false forgiveness. It’s all too easy to forgive in a way which is nothing more than a way of thinking I’m superior and, in some way, better than the forgiven one. This is akin to the “back-handed compliment”, the way people may say “thank you very much” when they are not thanking someone but, rather, making a point of feeling slighted in some way. Or maybe my so-called forgiveness is akin to a charitable act on my part; an act I may withhold as punishment to the other and self-aggrandizement for myself. I am working toward understanding this thing called forgiveness. I ask myself, How would Love look on this? Today I will strive to see through the veil of belief which dictates how I should interpret others’ actions. 

“We must reverse our feeble flutterings--our efforts to find life and truth in matter--and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the God-like man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 262:11-16

May 6, 2012 - All I give is given to myself

Giving/Receiving
Photo by Aaron Sringston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #126
"All that I give is given to myself."
[Marsha's thoughts]
In thinking about today's lesson, I reflect on conversations from yesterday. What things do we think we are giving? These are a few  highlights of what people think they are giving: good advice, scornful judgment of another's actions, support for loved ones, opinions which we hope will change the world. This list could go on and on. In examining what I'd like to give today, I see that the only thing which can truly be given is Love. Anything else is but a material opinion in some way. Even what we think of as forgiveness is a mortal concept which includes lots of stipulations. So often we forgive someone so we ourselves will feel better, or perhaps we think God will be mad at us if we don't, or so often we imply that I'll forgive you because I'm a better person than you are. Oh my! But we know that forgiveness is the key to the door of truth, so how do we forgive without the material trappings? Love! We give and live Love, and there is nothing else to think about. There is no need to forgive and forget, because this all-encompassing Love erases the need to forgive, as we realize there truly is nothing to forgive. Someone once said, "Reality is that which does not change." And what doesn't change? Certainly everything in the physical realm does. But Life, Truth, Love, Sprit, Soul, Mind, Principle, the seven synonyms for God, these things are changeless and eternal. And they are what we have as our touchstones in daily life, to focus on when we have opinions we feel need to be expressed to others. Before I give anything today, I will ask myself, Is this what I want to receive? If it's not, then I'd best not give it. But my realization that God is Love, that Love is all there is, allows me to slip into that sweet space of living from Truth, which is expressing the Love we are.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“We cannot fathom the nature and quality of God's creation by diving into the shallows of mortal belief. We must reverse our feeble flutterings--our efforts to find life and truth in matter--and rise above the testimony of the material senses, above the mortal to the immortal idea of God. These clearer, higher views inspire the God-like man to reach the absolute centre and circumference of his being.” Science & Health Page 262:9-16