Give me your blessing, holy Son of God.
Today we practice differently, and take a stand against our anger, that our fears may disappear and offer room to love. Here is salvation in the simple words in which we practice with today's idea. Here is the answer to temptation which can never fail to welcome in the Christ where fear and anger had prevailed before. Here is Atonement made complete, the world passed safely by and Heaven now restored. Here is the answer of the Voice for God.
Complete abstraction is the natural condition of the mind. But part of it is now unnatural. It does not look on everything as one. It sees instead but fragments of the whole, for only thus could it invent the partial world you see. The purpose of all seeing is to show you what you wish to see. All hearing but brings to your mind the sounds it wants to hear.
Thus were specifics made. And now it is specifics we must use in practicing. We give them to the Holy Spirit, that He may employ them for a purpose which is different from the one we gave to them. Yet He can use but what we made, to teach us from a different point of view, so we can see a different use in everything.
One brother is all brothers. Every mind contains all minds, for every mind is one. Such is the truth. Yet do these thoughts make clear the meaning of creation? Do these words bring perfect clarity with them to you? What can they seem to be but empty sounds; pretty, perhaps, correct in sentiment, yet fundamentally not understood nor understandable. The mind that taught itself to think specifically can no longer grasp abstraction in the sense that it is all-encompassing. We need to see a little, that we learn a lot.
It seems to be the body that we feel limits our freedom, makes us suffer, and at last puts out our life. Yet bodies are but symbols for a concrete form of fear. Fear without symbols calls for no response, for symbols can stand for the meaningless. Love needs no symbols, being true. But fear attaches to specifics, being false.
Bodies attack, but minds do not. This thought is surely reminiscent of our text, where it is often emphasized. This is the reason bodies easily become fear's symbols. You have many times been urged to look beyond the body, for its sight presents the symbol of love's "enemy" Christ's vision does not see. The body is the target for attack, for no one thinks he hates a mind. Yet what but mind directs the body to attack? What else could be the seat of fear except what thinks of fear?
Hate is specific. There must be a thing to be attacked. An enemy must be perceived in such a form he can be touched and seen and heard, and ultimately killed. When hatred rests upon a thing, it calls for death as surely as God's Voice proclaims there is no death. Fear is insatiable, consuming everything its eyes behold, seeing itself in everything, compelled to turn upon itself and to destroy.
Who sees a brother as a body sees him as fear's symbol. And he will attack, because what he beholds is his own fear external to himself, poised to attack, and howling to unite with him again. Mistake not the intensity of rage projected fear must spawn. It shrieks in wrath, and claws the air in frantic hope it can reach to its maker and devour him.
This do the body's eyes behold in one whom Heaven cherishes, the angels love and God created perfect. This is his reality. And in Christ's vision is his loveliness reflected in a form so holy and so beautiful that you could scarce refrain from kneeling at his feet. Yet you will take his hand instead, for you are like him in the sight that sees him thus. Attack on him is enemy to you, for you will not perceive that in his hands is your salvation. Ask him but for this, and he will give it to you. Ask him not to symbolize your fear. Would you request that love destroy itself? Or would you have it be revealed to you and set you free?
Today we practice in a form we have attempted earlier. Your readiness is closer now, and you will come today nearer Christ's vision. If you are intent on reaching it, you will succeed today. And once you have succeeded, you will not be willing to accept the witnesses your body's eyes call forth. What you will see will sing to you of ancient melodies you will remember. You are not forgot in Heaven. Would you not remember it?
Select one brother, symbol of the rest, and ask salvation of him. See him first as clearly as you can, in that same form to which you are accustomed. See his face, his hands and feet, his clothing. Watch him smile, and see familiar gestures which he makes so frequently. Then think of this: What you are seeing now conceals from you the sight of one who can forgive you all your sins; whose sacred hands can take away the nails which pierce your own, and lift the crown of thorns which you have placed upon your bleeding head. Ask this of him, that he may set you free:
Give me your blessing, holy Son of God. I would behold you with the eyes of Christ, and see my perfect sinlessness in you.
And He will answer Whom you called upon. For He will hear the Voice for God in you, and answer in your own. Behold him now, whom you have seen as merely flesh and bone, and recognize that Christ has come to you. Today's idea is your safe escape from anger and from fear. Be sure you use it instantly, should you be tempted to attack a brother and perceive in him the symbol of your fear. And you will see him suddenly transformed from enemy to savior; from the devil into Christ.
The Following is Forwarded from Pathwaysoflight.org
-
Lesson 161
"Give me your blessing, holy Son of God."
In this lesson Jesus provides an important key in the undoing of the dream. First he helps me understand that when I see bodies, it is a projection of fear that is coming from my own mind. But he doesn't leave it at that. He shows me a way to reverse that seeing. He gives me a practice to see the Christ in my brother instead of focusing on his body. That is why the title is "Give me your blessing, holy Son of God."
When I see the Christ in my brother, I receive a blessing. When I see holiness in my brother, it helps me see the holiness in myself. This practice helps me undo my projections of fear. It helps me change my mind. This practice helps me open to the truth to receive Heaven's blessing.
Jesus reminds me that I see only what I want to see and my body's ears hear only what I want to hear. In this lesson, Jesus is encouraging me to expand my willingness to see the Christ instead of seeing bodies. As my willingness to see the Christ expands, I will see the Christ instead of seeing bodies. I get what I focus on. Jesus reminds me that one brother is all brothers.
Today my practice is to see the Christ in everyone. It is the only reality. This is the key to the undoing of the dream. This is my key to awakening to the truth about myself and my brother. This is my way out of fear. This is the way I return to Love. Am I willing to accept the truth today? The practice of today's lesson shows me how.
This world is a world of projection. For projection to work, it must have an object to project upon. A movie projector shows us nothing without a screen to reflect the images it projects. In the same way, if there is no object for us to project our fear and anger upon, there is no basis for the fear and anger. Thus to the ego thought system of separation, the body is the central symbol onto which it projects fear, anger and guilt. The ego's purpose for the body is to use it as a means to show us justification for our fear and make it seem real. It seems to work, because we believe the body is real.
As we practice seeing with Christ vision, we withdraw our belief in the reality of the body. The reflection of projected fear and guilt fades and the face of Christ in our brother comes forward, showing us instead his innocence and our own. The idea of not seeing ourselves or anyone as a body is so central to the Course that in a later review we repeat many times a day for 20 days, "I am not a body, I am free. I am still as God created me." Today's lesson is a step in moving our awareness in that direction.
Holy Spirit I ask Your help and Your strength to guide me to see the face of Christ in all my brothers today so that I may receive their gift that shows me my perfect innocence.
I like the part in the lesson that says that rage projected fear shrieks in wrath and claws the air in frantic hope it can reach to its maker and devour him. That explains what it feels like is happening in my mind many times. I can be fine one minute, but as soon as I let my mind wander with the ego, it feels like all hell breaks loose in my mind and next thing I know is I'm back in insanity wondering where my peace went.
This lesson clearly explains how and why we react to each other the way we do. There are no words to tell my Heavenly Father "thank you" for getting these messages of love to us. We are all on this journey together and the dedication to these lessons are for our own sanity, our own salvation and, I would guess, years of needless suffering. These lessons truly are gifts and I am grateful for my awareness of them.
©2003, Pathways of Light, Inc. http://pathwaysoflight.org You may freely share copies of this page with your friends, provided all copies include this notice.
