A Course in Miracles Lesson #161
“Give me your blessing, holy Son of God.”
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| Aaron and Heather in Glacier National Park (Unknown Photographer) |
The first line of today's lesson is thus: “Today we practice differently, and take a stand against our anger, that our fears may disappear and leave room for love." Just when I think anger will never flare within me again, it does! My first reaction is always self-righteous: I'm right; you're not. And examining the seeming motive for my anger usually brings about more self-righteous thought. So I've found the only escape is by replacing the anger with the Love which is our only true nature as the image and likeness of God. If self-justifying thoughts persist, they are replaced again with the Truth of our being. This process may take a while because mortal mind insists that it is justified in this action. But when we know it is not, the process becomes more natural to us. And if anger is not replaced, it can mutate into many forms, all erroneous. Recently a dear, sad woman known to many in our little town committed suicide. A few weeks later, so did her husband. What sadness, fear, anger and other turmoil must have been present in these dear people's minds. We seem to become stuck in feelings, thinking there is no way out. Mrs. Eddy posits that we will be surprised when we die and find out we're not dead. Salvation must be worked out here or hereafter. I remember this in times of sadness or turmoil. There is no escape other than through an understanding that we are a reflection of God, good, and that everything else is unreal. By bringing thought back to this truth time and again, we begin to see the veracity of it and the falsity of any other way of seeing this experience. Our inner peace cannot be taken away, even if joy seems to have disappeared!
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"’Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ." Science & Health Page 467:16-22
