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.
Read ACIM Chapter 13, Section III (pages 242-245)
This section lays out for us how terrified we are of Love. It seems insane that we would be afraid of Love and it is. The fear comes because we have made a unique image of ourselves that excludes Love by believing that we have succeeded in separating from God (Love). Because this unique identity is built on the belief in separation, the acceptance of God’s oneness (redemption) would mean the end of our identity. It is this we fear.
Belief in separation brings with it the idea of attack, or judging against, because judgment could only occur to the mind that perceives itself as separate. There must be something perceived as outside to be judged against. Since attack (judgment) maintains separation, it is seen as salvation because it protects the separate, unique identity we treasure.
“You may wonder why it is so crucial that you look upon your hatred and realize its full extent.” (1:1) Hatred is another way of saying “judging against.” This world is the effect of our judgment against the oneness of God. “You were at peace until you asked for special favor.” (10:2) When Love would not give us the specialness or uniqueness we demanded, we rejected (judged against) Love. The world was made as a defense against the oneness of Love. This is the hatred or rejection we must look upon.
We not only deny our hatred, but beneath that is the denial of our Love of our Source. Our hatred is a dark cloak we use to hide our Love. We are terrified of removing the cloak because it would reveal the Love that we are and the false identity we have made would disappear. We do not want the separation healed because we want to keep the unique identity we made up, the story of our self image.
Because we were created as Love by Love, the call of Love is always with us, no matter how hard we try to deny it. This call of Love is the Holy Spirit in our minds. But we cannot accept ourselves as Love and maintain a unique identity at the same time. “The Holy Spirit, then, seems to be attacking your fortress, for you would shut God out, and He does not will to be excluded.” (3:4) As long as we insist on maintaining an image of ourselves as a separate identity, we will be conflicted because we are defending against our true Nature, our Self. At the same time that we defend against Love, we yearn to return to Love. This conflict will continue until we recognize and accept that we share God’s Will to be Love and nothing else.
Our illusions seem to be self-sustained and that is why they seem to happen to us. It doesn’t appear that we are responsible for the illusions. In fact, we deny responsibility for the illusions and blame God for the world of limitation, lack, pain and death that we experience. This projection of responsibility saves us from having to accept responsibility for the lack of Love we experience. As we learn to recognize that the experience of lack of Love is a choice we made by desiring specialness and individuality, we can begin the process of healing.
We do a good job of hiding from ourselves the fact that we are making up the illusion of separation. We make it appear that we had nothing to do with writing the script. “You must look upon your illusions and not keep them hidden, because they do not rest on their own foundation. In concealment they appear to do so, and thus they seem to be self-sustained. This is the fundamental illusion on which the others rest.” (6:1-3) This is a key concept for us to understand. We are making up these illusions. These illusions are the barrier we have placed between ourselves and Love Which is our Source. Beneath this barrier is our loving mind. We are learning that the barrier of a world of separate bodies is not our salvation. It is our crucifixion.
The Holy Spirit has the remedy, but we must take all our illusions of separation to Him in order to receive His help. “Do not leave any spot of pain hidden from His Light, and search your mind carefully for any thoughts you may fear to uncover. For He will heal every little thought you have kept to hurt you and cleanse it of its littleness, restoring it to the magnitude of God.” (7:5-6)
This is a very clear explanation of how to awaken from our dream of fear. We made it appear that the world is happening to us and now we are learning to recognize all the little barriers to Love that we place in the way of the memory of God. We are learning to take all these hidden thoughts, these false ideas, to the Holy Spirit for a correction in perception. We have been wrong in our thinking and in true humility we are open to having our thoughts be corrected.
We are learning to let go of our fear of redemption. We are learning to exempt no one from our Love for we would no longer crucify ourselves. We would not close our mind to the Holy Spirit’s healing help. We would not make ourselves separate and alone. We would not set ourselves apart. We are learning to give up this insanity. “But seek this place and you will find it, for love is in you and will lead you there.” (12:10)
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