A Course in Miracles Lesson 196 It can be only myself I crucify.
It can only be myself I crucify.
When this is understood,
You will not attack yourself.
You will realize that to attack another is but to attack yourself.
You will be free of the insane belief that to attack another saves yourself.
You will understand their safety is your own safety.
You will see that in their healing,
You are healed.
Yet,
Must the ego fail to understand the truth that it uses to justify its lies?
The ways in which the ego would distort the truth will not deceive you any longer.
You will not believe you are a body to be crucified.
Thus,
Do you also teach your mind that you are not an ego?
It can be only myself I crucify.
This idea is one step we take in leading us from bondage to the state of perfect freedom.
Let's take this step today.
It is not time we need for this.
It is only willingness,
For what would seem to need a thousand years can easily be done in just one instant by the grace of God.
The dreary,
Hopeless thought that you can attack others and escape yourself has nailed you to the cross.
Perhaps it seemed to be salvation,
Yet the attacks merely stood for the belief that the fear of God is real.
And what is that,
But hell?
Who could believe their father is their deadly enemy?
Who could believe their father is separate from them?
Who could believe their father is waiting to destroy their life and blot them from the universe?
Who could believe all this without the fear of hell upon their heart?
Bondage is the form of madness you believe if you accept the fearful thought that you can attack another and be free yourself.
It can be only myself I crucify.
Your next steps will be easy if you take this step today.
From there,
We go ahead quite rapidly.
For once,
You understand it is impossible that you will be hurt except by your own thoughts.
If the fear of God is to disappear,
You cannot then believe that fear is caused from without.
Then,
God,
Whom you had thought to banish and be welcomed back within the holy mind,
He never left.
It can be only myself I crucify.
Ponder on this.
It can be only myself I crucify.
It is only your thoughts that bring you fear.
It is impossible that you will be hurt except by your own thoughts.
There is an instant in which terror seems to grip your mind so wholly that escape from fear appears quite hopeless when you realize once and for all that it is you you fear.
It can be only myself I crucify.
There is an instant in which you will call God father and yourself his child.
Pray that this instant may be soon today.
Step back from fear and advance forward to love.
There is no thought of God that does not go with you to help you reach that instant and to go beyond it quickly,
Surely,
And forever.
When the fear of God is gone,
There are no obstacles that still remain between you and the holy peace of God.
It can be only myself I crucify.
How kind and merciful is this idea we practice.
Give it welcome as you should,
For this idea is your release.
It is indeed only you your mind can try to crucify,
Yet your redemption will come from you.
It can be only myself I crucify.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.
