A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

To gain the most from A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple, we recommend that
you read the corresponding chapter and section in the Text of the Second or
Third Edition of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace.

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Chapter 11: God or the Ego

Introduction

Read ACIM Chapter 11, Introduction (pages 193-194)

Why does the Course say the ego is an attempt to make our own father?

Remembering that God creates by extending Himself, His creations must be like Himself, sharing all of His attributes. We could not be separate and have something we could call our own if we are God’s creation, because we would be unlike God. Thus we needed to invent a different father in which specialness, individuality and separation could seem to be real. So we made up the ego and chose it as our father in order to seem to have the individuality we wished for. In essence we made our “creator” in our own image of separation. This is why the Course says, “The ego, then, is nothing more than a delusional system in which you made your own father.” (2:4)

To wake up from the dream of separation, we need look at this dark cornerstone of the ego’s thought system with the Holy Spirit. He will show us the insanity of trying to replace our Father with an image of our own making. Lesson 13 directly addresses the effect of trying to replace God when it says, “A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God.” (W-pI.13.4:7)

Even while we dream of being what we are not, the memory of What we are remains in our minds. This memory is the Answer to our delusion of being separate and alone. It is the memory of our Source, our Father. We may believe in another thought system that we made up and think that we are subject to its laws, but the memory of our Source remains with us to be called upon and remembered at any instant. This memory is the spark, the Light in our minds, the Holy Spirit Who walks beside us, offering His vision and His strength.

Why do we need to accept the lamp that Jesus offers us and look at the ego with him?

We can let His vision guide us and His strength support us and protect us as we go with Him to the darkest regions of the ego’s thought system. This spark, this Light within, will show that there is nothing in the darkness. What we feared in the darkness were simply made up images that had no substance. This is the path to freedom. By taking the Holy Spirit’s hand and following Him, we learn that everything we have been afraid of was based on nothing.

In the last paragraph of this introduction, Jesus makes an impassioned plea to accept the lamp he offers us. He reminds us that he is right there with us as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, bringing a Light to take to the hidden dark cornerstone of the ego. He reminds us that we are never alone. We cannot be without him because, as he reminds us, “My brother, you are part of God and part of me.” (4:1)

He encourages us to look at the ego with him. With Jesus we can look at the ego’s foundation without shrinking. Looking at the ego with Jesus brings a calm and nurturing confidence that we have nothing to fear. We can be confident that with Jesus we will return to our true Home, where we belong. Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, is the call of Love. Love calls to us to look at the ego in true honesty.

With the honesty found in the Holy Spirit, the nothingness of the ego is clearly seen. We easily lay down the childish toys that only made belief in death and limitation. As we look at the ego with the Holy Spirit with calm certainty, we lay it aside. We willingly look beyond the ego to the Light of Love and joy that has always been there, waiting for our return. Jesus tells us, “I will lead you to your true Father, Who hath need of you, as I have. Will you not answer the call of love with joy?” (4:7-8)

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