Welcome to Active Meditation,
A course in miracles.
Lesson 161.
Give me your blessing,
Holy son of God.
Today we practice differently.
We take a stand against our anger so 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.
Give me your blessing,
Holy son of God.
Here is the answer to temptation which can never fail to welcome in the Christ.
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 the mind is now unnatural.
The mind does not look on everything as one.
It sees instead fragments of the whole.
For only thus could the mind invent the partial world.
You see,
The purpose of all seeing is to show you what you wish to see.
All hearing what brings to your mind the sounds your mind wants to hear.
Thus were specifics made and now it is specifics we must use in practicing.
We give specifics to the Holy Spirit that they may be employed for a purpose which is different from the one we gave to them.
Yet the Holy Spirit can use what we made to teach us from a different point of view so that we can see a different use in everything.
One brother is all brothers.
One sister is all sisters.
Every mind contains all minds.
Such is the truth.
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 abstraction is all-encompassing.
We need to see a little that we learn a lot.
It seems to be our body that we feel limits our freedom.
It seems to be our body that makes us suffer.
It seems to be the body that 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,
Minds do not attack.
This thought is surely reminiscent of the Course in Miracles text where it is often emphasized.
Bodies attack,
Minds do not attack.
This is the reason bodies easily become fears symbols.
You have many times been urged to look beyond the body for the body's sight presents the symbol of love's enemy that Christ's vision does not see.
Say to yourself,
Say in your mind,
Give me your blessing,
Holy son of God.
Give me your blessing,
Holy son of God.
The body is the target for attack for no one thinks they hate.
Yet what but mind directs the body to attack.
What else could be the seed 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 that can be touched,
That can be seen,
That can be heard and can ultimately be 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.
Fear consumes everything its eyes behold.
Fear sees itself in everything.
Fear is compelled to turn upon itself and to destroy.
One who sees a brother or a sister as a body sees them as fears symbol and they will attack because what they behold is their own fear external to themselves poised to attack howling to unite with them again.
Mistake not the intensity of rage projected fear must spawn.
Fear shrieks in wrath.
Fear claws the air in frantic hope that can reach to its maker and devour him.
This does the body's eyes behold in one whom heaven cherishes in one whom the angels love and in one whom God created perfect.
This is their reality.
In Christ's vision is their loveliness reflected in a form so holy and so beautiful that you could scarcely refrain from kneeling at his feet.
Yet you will take Christ's hand instead for you are like him in the sight that sees him most.
Attack on Christ is enemy to you for you will not perceive that in his hands is your salvation.
Ask Christ for this and he will give it to you.
Ask Christ not to symbolize your fear.
Would you request that love destroy itself or would you have love be revealed to you?
Would you have love 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.
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 forgotten in heaven.
Would you not remember it?
Let's practice.
Select one brother or sister as a symbol of the rest.
Ask salvation of them.
See them first as clearly as you can in that same form which you are accustomed.
Find them now.
See their face,
Their hands and feet,
Their clothing.
Watch them smile.
See the familiar gestures which they make so frequently.
Think of this.
What you are seeing now conceals from you the sight of one who can forgive you all your sins.
One whose sacred hands can take away the nails which pierce your own hands.
One whose sacred hands can lift the crown of thorns which you have placed upon your bleeding head.
Ask salvation of them that they may set you free.
As you are watching them say to them repeating after me give me your blessing holy child of God.
I would behold you with the eyes of Christ.
I would see my perfect sinlessness in you.
Now wait and Christ will answer whom you called upon.
Christ will hear the voice for God in you and answer in your own voice.
Behold them now whom you have previously seen as merely flesh and bone and recognize that Christ has come to you.
Ponder on this.
Now give me your blessing holy child of God.
I would behold you with the eyes of Christ.
I would see my perfect sinlessness in you.
Give me your blessing holy child of God.
I would behold you with the eyes of Christ.
I would see my perfect sinlessness in 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 someone,
Should you be tempted to perceive in them the symbol of your fear.
You will see them suddenly transformed from enemy to Savior.
Transformed from the devil into Christ.
Give me your blessing holy son of God.
I would behold you with the eyes of Christ.
I would see perfect sinlessness in you.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace.
