This afternoon we're going to do something a little different for this series. Typically
I speak about the ego and various aspects of the ego thought system and the undoing
through the Holy Spirit's forgiveness or miracle, just as the Course does throughout. But today
I thought we could talk about what it is that the ego is defending against. Why does it
mobilize all its defenses to keep us from that experience of love and the true peace
of God. There are two passages that I wanted to read from. The first is from the workbook,
Lesson 107, paragraph 2. The title of the lesson is "Truth will correct all errors in
my mind." "Can you imagine what a state of mind without illusions is? How it would feel?
Try to remember when there was a time,--perhaps a minute, maybe even less--when nothing came
to interrupt your peace; when you were certain you were loved and safe. Then try to picture
what it would be like to have that moment be extended to the end of time and to eternity.
Then let the sense of quiet that you felt be multiplied a hundred times, and then be
multiplied another hundred more" (W-pI.107.2). "And now you have a hint, not more than just
the faintest intimation of the state your mind will rest in when the truth has come.
Without illusions there could be no fear, no doubt and no attack. When truth has come
all pain is over, for there is no room for transitory thoughts and dead ideas to linger
in your mind. Truth occupies your mind completely, liberating you from all beliefs in the ephemeral.
They have no place because the truth has come, and they are nowhere. They can not be found,
for truth is everywhere forever, now" (W-pI.107.3). And in the teachers manual, Section 19, "What
is Justice," I would read the following. This is from paragraph 2, sentence 5."The path
becomes quite different as one goes along. Nor could all the magnificence, the grandeur
of the scene and the enormous opening vistas that rise to meet one as the journey continues,
be foretold from the outset. Yet even these, whose splendor reaches indescribable heights
as one proceeds, fall short indeed of all that wait when the pathway ceases and time
ends with it" (M-19.2:5-7). This is the end of the journey. This is where A Course in
Miracles is leading us. This is where all our right-minded corrections will bring us
at the end. The tragedy is that we all settle for so much less than the glorious vision
that these passages open up for us. We all choose rather than to partake of the full
banquet of Heaven's Love, instead we choose little crumbs of specialness, these meager
scraps that we're willing to settle for, that give the body momentary pleasures but nothing
that is lasting. The promise that Jesus is offering us is that if we take his hand and
follow along the path of forgiveness that he leads us on, step-by-step, this conclusion
is assured. Twice we are told in the text the outcome is as certain as God. There is
no way we could fail if we but choose to look at the ego's meager offerings and say how
could I possibly have ever wanted this? How could I possibly still yearn for what the
ego has given me? How could I cherish the illusion that at some point in my life, I
will find happiness and peace through the world, through the body, through my relationships
here, through all the things the world offers but to take away at the end. Jesus is telling
us these gifts of the ego are not worthy of the Son of God. These gifts are not worthy
of who we are. Why would we settle for so little when he is offering us everything?
Why would we settle for the nothingness of specialness and all the vain pursuits that
the world says would lead us to happiness and peace? Why do we settle for these when
we could have the love that is our true Self? There is no way on earth that we could ever
even approximate what Jesus is talking about here as Lesson 107 indicates. But because
we believe him, because we trust him, because we feel his gentle, loving wisdom, we are
willing to take his hand and journey (even if it's only at the beginning) knowing that
in the end, he will lead us to what he described here: "...all the magnificence, the grandeur
of the scene and the enormous opening vistas that rise to meet one as the journey continues...Yet
even these, whose splendor reaches indescribable heights as one proceeds, fall short indeed
of all that wait when the pathway ceases and time ends with it"(M-19.2:6-7). Forgiveness
is the means that Jesus is using to teach us how to reach this vision and reach this
goal. Why would we not take it? Why would we not take his hand today and walk out of
this world into his?