A Course in Miracles answered many questions that my traditional Christian education left me asking. This blog page is an attempt to summarize a few important points that the Course puts forth – based on my perspective as a fairly new Course student. Anyone wishing for further, and more informed, insight & clarification might visit the various websites that are available.*

We, here on Earth, are seeking Oneness with Spirit – or whatever you call that energy in the Universe that is greater than we are. In fact we have never been separated. We are a Thought in the Mind of God, but we think we are separated. [1] Our bodies, time, space, and the myriad wonderful, amazing things the world contains are testament to what we think is true…we are here & God is somewhere else separated from us most of the time. At times we can believe that God is within us or with us in some way, but mostly God is “out there.”

Since we believe this illusion, we act in accord with the world’s rules. When someone injures us, we retaliate. When we injure some else, we tell ourselves we were acting in self-defense. [2] Patterns of blame and judgment make up our days which keeps us bound in separation. The Course tells us that the way to Oneness is through forgiveness – for others and for ourselves. [3]

Real forgiveness consists of realizing that the other party was doing the best s/he could and that, in our reaction to them, we were doing the best we could. When there is nothing left to forgive [4] then true forgiveness is complete and Love takes the place of resentment.

Every human action and reaction can be classified into two categories: we either are giving Love or are asking for Love. [5] Every interaction is an opportunity for a Holy Encounter. [6] The fastest path to removing the blocks to Love that is our Identity [7] is through paying attention to the people in our lives. They are our teachers and we are theirs; they are our students and we are theirs. Holy Encounters are those which create more Love: a pleasant exchange with someone in an elevator, a kind word to a sales clerk, answering a harsh word only with kindness, forgiving an ex-spouse for past difficulties, knowing that the politician many folks can’t stand is doing the best s/he can, praying for world peace. Our teachers/students are near and far, and our Path to God is through our interactions with them. [8]

OK, so here’s the woo-woo part – at least some will think this is a little off the wall: A Course in Miracles was the result of Jesus dictating to Helen Shucman who copied the words that she “heard” using shorthand. She, in turn, would translate her work aloud to her boss, William Thetford, who would type it out. They were professors of Medical Psychology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City in the mid ‘60s. The competition and acrimony had reached such a pitch in the department and between them that one day Bill proclaimed, “There has to be another way.” After experiencing unusual (for her), meaningful dreams, she began to “hear” Jesus speak to her. Jesus’ opening words were, “This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary….This course can be summed up very simply in this way: Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” [9]

Jesus tell us in A Course in Miracles that he allowed himself to be crucified as an “extreme example” to prove the truth that “Nothing real can be threatened.” [10] He’s still hanging around as is the Holy Spirit to aid us on our journey back to where we never left. He says “the man (Jesus) was an illusion, for he seemed to be a separate being, walking by himself, within a body that appeared to hold his self from Self, as all illusions do.” [11] He further instructs us, “Some bitter idols have been made of him who would be only brother to the world. Forgive him your illusions, and behold how dear a brother he would be to you.” [12] It has taken me a while to become friends with Jesus. A Course in Miracles has helped me to erase the Illusions I developed of him as a little girl. He’s now a friend who gently teaches me and more gently still waits for me to come to him to learn. [13] I invite you to explore A Course in Miracles to see if it resonates as Truth within you. [14]

*Anyone wishing to explore the meaning of or read commentaries about A Course in Miracles, visit these websites:

www.circleofa.org, www.acim.org, and Miracles Magazine www.miraclecenter.org.

FOOTNOTE REFERENCES TO ACIM:

1-“We are at Home in God, dreaming of exile but perfectly capable of awakening to reality.” T-10,I, 2:1

2-“No one attacks without intent to hurt. This can have no exception. When you think that you attack in self-defense, you mean that to be cruel is protection; you are safe because of cruelty. You mean that you believe to hurt another brings you freedom. And you mean that to attack is to exchange the state in which you are for something better, safer, more secure from dangerous invasion and from fear. How thoroughly insane is the idea that to defend from fear is to attack!” W 170, 1:1-5 & 2:1

3-“Forgiveness lets me know that minds are joined.” W 336

4-“Forgiveness recognizes what you thought your brother did to you has not occurred.” What is Forgiveness? Page before W 221

5-“The only judgment involved is the Holy Spirit’s one division into two categories; one of love, and the other the call for love. You cannot safely make this division, for you are much too confused either to recognize love, or to believe that everything else is nothing but a call for love.” T 14, X, 7:1&2.

6-“When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him you will see yourself. As you treat him you will treat yourself. As you think of him you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose yourself. Whenever two Sons of God meet, they are given another chance at salvation. Do not leave anyone without giving salvation to him and receiving it yourself. For I am always there with you, in remembrance of you.” T 8, III, 4:1-8

7-“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” Introduction to the Text

8-“To perceive the healing of your brother as the healing of yourself is thus the way to remember God. For you forgot your brothers with Him, and God’s Answer to your forgetting is but the way to remember.” T 12, II, 2:9&10.

9-quoted from Text Introduction p 1

10-“He offered you a final demonstration that it is impossible to kill God’s Son; nor can his life in any way be changed by sin and evil, malice, fear or death.” Manual for Teachers, Clarification of Terms, #5-Jesus-Christ p 87, 3:5

11-quoted from Manual for Teachers, Clarification of Terms, #5-Jsus-Christ p 87, 2:3

12-quoted from Manual for Teachers, Clarification of Terms, p 88, 5:7

13-“God gave your will its power, which I can only acknowledge in honor of His. If you want to be like me I will help you knowing that we are alike. If you want to be different, I will wait until you change your mind. I can teach you, but only you can choose to listen to my teaching.” Jesus = I here T 8, IV, 6:2-5

14-Find A Course in Miracles Study Group near you by visiting the Miracles Distribution Center www.miraclecenter.org

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