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October-December, 2014

Condemnation Injures Me; Forgiveness Sets Me Free

by Rev. Linda Wisniewski, O.M.C.

I asked Holy Spirit to lead me to a Workbook lesson that is needed for my highest healing and greatest good. Consistently, I was guided to Lesson 198 in the Workbook: “Only my condemnation injures me.” The first sentence in that Lesson is: “Injury is impossible.” Wow! If that is true, why did I fall and break my hip?

Then sentence three says: “If you can condemn, you can be injured.” Wow! What was going on in Linda’s mind before the so-called injury? Well, Linda was very angry at her Irish Setter puppy which was a rescued dog. She blamed the puppy for her unhappiness.

The puppy is a big strong rambunctious, energetic dog that kept trying to jump on Linda, even after two different training session classes. Linda believed the puppy could knock her down and cause an injury. Linda wanted to give the puppy to a friend who loved Irish Setters, but her husband was very attached to the puppy and didn’t want to give him up. So Linda became angry and was condemning of her husband and believed her husband was choosing the dog over her. Linda also felt guilty for having these feelings.

So is it any surprise that with all this condemnation and guilt that Linda then projected onto her body, she fell and injured herself with a broken hip?

The Course teaches us that the body is neutral. It can neither feel pain or pleasure. What isn’t neutral is our thoughts. Linda feared she could be hurt. Linda believed her body was fragile. Linda believed she was guilty for having angry thoughts. Unconsciously, Linda believed she deserved to be punished and the body was the receptacle of the punishment.

Sentence 2 in paragraph 1 of this Lesson states: “And yet illusion makes illusion.” So what does this mean? Illusion is a mistaken belief, a thought. It isn’t real. The thought that we could separate from God and make a body to hide from God are all illusory thoughts. These thoughts are fearful thoughts and lead to guilt and the belief we deserve to be punished. These beliefs play out in the illusion in myriad ways. In Linda’s story it seems the belief in guilt is projected onto the body and the punishment is injury, pain and sickness.

Lesson 198 goes onto say: “Condemn and you are made a prisoner. Forgive and you are freed. Such is the law that rules perception.” (2:1-3)

Perception is a belief, an opinion. It is not a fact. And, if it is not a fact, it is not true. It is not real. So, through forgiveness, these thoughts can be corrected by One who knows the Truth — the Holy Spirit, which is the Voice for God.

The Truth is we are a Creation of God’s Love. Love never condemns and there is no guilt in love. We can’t be harmed. If I believe I can condemn and believe I am guilty, then I am believing I have a separate will from God.

Lesson 193 is also helping Linda to learn:

“Forgiveness is the only road that leads out of disaster, past all suffering and finally away from death [and injury].” (4:1)

“How foolish to believe you can attack.” (7:6)

“How mad to think that you can be condemned, and that the Holy Son of God can die!” (7:7)

“Do not forget today that there can be no form of suffering that fails to hide an unforgiving thought.” (9:5)

“Nor can there be a form of pain forgiveness cannot heal.” (9:6)

“Accept the one illusion which proclaims there is no condemnation in God’s Son and Heaven is remembered instantly.” >(10:1)