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July-September, 2004

What Would Jesus Do?

by Rev. Myron Jones, O.M.C.

I have always been intrigued by the popular slogan, What would Jesus do? I’m sure you’ve seen it on t-shirts and jewelry, usually by the first letters of the question, WWJD. I think that is a good question. After all, Jesus intended his life to be an example for us; a model to follow in our own lives.

The problem with that question is that someone is assuming that I know what Jesus would do. Sometimes they are right. Sometimes though, I have been mistaken in thinking I knew what he would do. Sometimes, I assumed Jesus would think like me, that he would react as I would have reacted under similar circumstances.

Obviously this is not always true. All I have to do is look at the crucifixion to see that Jesus was way more enlightened than me. I’m not sure what I would have said if I had been unfairly crucified. It probably wouldn’t have had anything to do with forgiveness, though. So, if I want to answer the question “What would Jesus do?” I will have to think about this. It is very easy to project my thoughts and feelings onto the situation and become confused about the answer. I don’t want to ask myself, “What would Myron do?” I’ve done that. It hasn’t always worked out so well.

I decided that I would look for some of the principle beliefs that Jesus tried to teach me, and then extrapolate from them what I could do when faced with a moral decision. I suppose that the chief idea that Jesus tried to get across to me is Love. He talked about perfect Love in Matthew 6:44.

“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.”

Well, there is a tall order. He goes on to assure me that I can do this, by telling me that I am perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect. So, though it seems like an impossible task, I can know that it is doable. What I have learned from practicing this idea is that it is not only doable, but that doing it changes my life.

My ex-husband is a wonderful teacher in my life. Not that he has done this intentionally, but that is how it has worked out. Toward the end of our marriage, there was a lot of turmoil. We argued frequently and to me it seemed as if he were constantly attacking me. Nothing was ever good enough for him and everything I did was wrong. In truth, I am sure he felt the same way about me. We had turned our life into a battleground. I saw him as my enemy, and was constantly in a “defend and attack” mode.

WWJD in this situation? I saw Greg as my enemy at that time. Jesus tells me that I should love my enemy. Is that possible? One time a minister told me this story abut a congregant who was in a similar situation. She was so angry with her husband that she hated him. He had done so many things to hurt her and she wanted to do something to repay some of that pain before she left him.

The minister suggested this: “Before you leave, start treating him well. Be as loving as you know how to be. Take care of him. Cook his favorite meals. Always have a kind word for him, no matter what he may say. Think of as many little ways you can make his life a joy.”

The woman was appalled by this suggestion. Why should she treat this mean person with such love? He had hurt her terribly and often, and now the minister was suggesting she treat him kindly. How was that going to hurt him? “Well,” the minister said, “By doing this, when you leave he will know what he threw away with his bad behavior and will be devastated at his loss.”

The woman was delighted at this thought. And though she knew it would be extremely hard to act kindly to someone she hated, she was determined to make him pay so she did it.

Months later the wise minister ran into the woman and asked her if she was happy to be away from the abusive husband. She seemed surprised at the very idea. She stated emphatically that she and her husband were still together and very happy indeed. She explained to the minister that when she started following his advice and treating him with loving kindness, he changed and started doing the same to her.

I did my best to follow Jesus’ instructions to love my enemy. It was so hard to do this and my success was spotty at best. We are divorced, but if any of you have ever left a long relationship, you know that it doesn’t end at that point. There was still a lot of anger, frustration and grief. However, I kept my eyes on my goal, that is, to love my enemy.

If the Holy Spirit were a person, He would surely have become tired of hearing from me as I asked, once again, that he heal my thoughts toward my ex. As I slowly began to lay down my battle garb, I began to experience the peace of God. How my life has been blessed in doing this! Now I see Greg, not as my enemy, but as a perfect Child of God who, like me, is struggling to remember his true Identity. Our relationship is not completely healed yet, but my intent is set and I strive to use every opportunity to bring about that healing.

What would Jesus have me do if faced with a situation in which I find myself making a judgment? This is another area in which he was very clear. Matthew 7:1 says “Judge not lest ye be judged.” You can’t get more clear than that. He doesn’t follow it with a list of exceptions to the rule. He leaves no loopholes. I like guidelines that are clear cut. I don’t have anything to figure out and so little opportunity to twist his words until they mean something I prefer.

If I read the paper and see that someone is behaving in a way that feels threatening to me, I know that I have judged. I read a story about a man who suffered a great loss. His son was killed by another man and that man was imprisoned for his evil deed. Then, the father who lost his son somehow found the strength to forgive the murderer and became his friend. Wow, is that story ever rich ground for judgment! I judged the murder of the son as tragic and certainly it seemed so. I judged the murderer as evil and what he did as evil. I judged the father as saintly when he forgave.

So man, how am I going to look at this situation without judgment? I do it like I do other things. I bring my thoughts to the Holy Spirit and ask Him what He wants me to do with them. I open my mind to another way to see. When I do this, I can’t imagine what that other way will be. It seems impossible. But that is OK. I am going to the Holy Spirit because I don’t know the answer. It would be inappropriate and self-defeating to go to Him with an answer already formulated.

When I bring this situation to the Holy Spirit He gently reminds me that I am seeing my own fear of death and loss reflected in this situation. Jesus’ final lesson for us was the resurrection. Through the resurrection he was teaching us that there is no death. Certainly the body can be murdered, but I am not a body. The body is a shell, of little importance. What is me, what God created, cannot be harmed in any way. He reminds me also, that my care is in His hands and that His care for me is infinite.

“But the father’s grief, what about the father?” I ask. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” He answers me. It is not my job to judge even this. How could I begin to know what healing may come of this? How am I to know what purpose will be fulfilled as someone is comforted by God?

“Well surely,” I plead, “I am justified in judging the murderer as evil.” And again, I am gently reminded that even this man is God’s blessed child, created in his image and after His likeness. “But look at what he did.” But what he did does not change who he is. He is as God created him.

I cannot know the whole story. I cannot know everything there is to know about everyone involved and how it will play out now and in the future. That is why it is not my job to judge. In His mercy, God took that burden from me. A Course in Miracles puts it very succinctly when it tells me that the strain of constant judgment is virtually intolerable. It is curious that an ability so debilitating would be so deeply cherished.

This leads us right into forgiveness. Forgiveness was big on Christ’s agenda. Forgiveness was nearly the last thing Jesus had to teach us, and certainly the culmination of his teaching. As he was dying, he said. “Forgive them.” They tried to humiliate him. They tortured him, they destroyed his body. And what did he do? He forgave them. What can anyone do that is outside my forgiveness?

f someone steals from me, what do I do? What would Jesus do? He would forgive them. If someone hurts my feelings, if someone embarrasses me before my friends, If someone abandons me or betrays me, what do I do? What would Jesus do? I forgive them. I see through what I think they did to me. I see through their behavior. I see only who they are in reality; that is the blessed and holy children of God. That is forgiveness.

On my own, I can’t forgive. I don’t know how. It is only through the Holy Spirit that my thoughts are healed and I learn to think with God. My job is to be willing to forgive and even that sometimes takes all my effort to achieve. I so often cling to my grievances as if they were my saviors instead of God. But my willingness, however small it is, will save me. I will succeed because it is God’s Will that I do so. I cannot fail because it is the strength of God that gives me power.

So, when someone pulls out in front of me and nearly causes an accident, I see past the careless action to the reality of the driver. I see he is a Child of God. How can I curse a Child of God? I forgive and bless him and in return I am forgiven and blessed. As I learn that he is a Child of God, worthy of my forgiveness, I am teaching myself that I am a Child of God, worthy of blessings and forgiveness.

What would Jesus do? He taught us that, whatever the situation, the appropriate reaction is always one of Love and forgiveness. He taught us that we are not to judge. These will not always be my first reactions. That’s Okay.

I am always free to choose again. If I react to a person or situation in an unloving, unforgiving or judgmental way, do I condemn myself? No, because condemnation is not a loving response. I will not judge myself. I will forgive myself, just as I forgive others. I will be gentle, both with others and with myself as I strive, daily, to live as Jesus would.

Rev. Myron Jones is a Pathways of Light minister living in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

© 2004, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2004

Step Back and Let Him Lead the Way

by Rev. Deb Frantz, O.M.C.

I have been in one of those listening modes again as I ponder my own spiritual journey. This is reflected in Lesson 155 “I will step back and let Him lead the way,” It is an echo of what I want my spiritual journey to consist of and what I am working towards.

What is that? It is complete trust in God, a surrendering to Spirit, and letting the Divine to take my hand and lead me where it is I am to be. Not only where I am to be, but what I am to be and what I am to say or do in any given situation.

The “Truly Helpful” prayer helps us do just this. Not only do we use it here in Pittsburgh to close our meetings, but I find it very helpful to begin the day and as I approach various situations in my life. Join with me now and let’s pray it together: “I am here only to be truly helpful. I am here to represent Him Who sent me. I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me. I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me. I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.” (T-2.V.A.18:2-8)

So in stepping back and letting God lead the way, I am recognizing a sense of freedom in all that I do and say. The chains of control are lifted and I no longer have to be concerned about my responses or reactions or even the reactions of others. Judgment is lifted and replaced with Love. In following the call of Spirit, one never knows where one is led.

Recently, I have had two cinematic experiences. The first was watching “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The second was the video on the life of the Peace Pilgrim. Both St. Francis and Peace Pilgrim relinquished worldly possessions, heard the call of the heart and were inspired by the Divine. How inspiring their lives were! But perhaps that is not for everyone. There is a lesson here though. The lesson that I see is that there is no need to have attachments to the material world; this will not bring happiness. There is no need to have attachments to the world of personal relationships; this will not bring happiness. There is no need to have any attachments to the call of the ego as this again will not bring happiness. Only listening to His Voice will bring me the happiness that I seek. Happiness is only found within.

How many times have we surrounded ourselves with so much and yet felt so empty inside? Both of the stories of these two glorious souls help to teach us what it means to surrender to the Will of God. We do not have to suffer, sacrifice, or experience emotional pain. We have a choice, in that I choose the Life Source of God.

This reminds me further still of Lesson 102, “I share God’s Will for happiness for me.” We are not alone. We are never alone. When we choose loneliness and anguish, it is just that — our choosing. I have chosen that across the pages of my life. I have made a life these past 40 years of choosing sadness, tragedy, anger, fear and the like. Even as I became ordained as a minister four years ago, I did not realize the joy and peace that I would find in God here today. As I continue to surrender that which I have been attached to, peace keeps flowing as a gentle river in my soul. I do not have to dwell on all the past tragedies of my life, and there are many, mind you. I have been raped, abused, married three times, two of my children molested, gun held to my head, experienced domestic violence and other seemingly traumatic experiences. All along through the years I knew, somehow deep down, that I was a part of God’s Love. I wrote a song in my early 20’s that states, “the fire still burns bright in my soul.” Through all the pain that I had come to know, I knew then and here I am again recognizing the Light that is within me. We carry It always.

Some would look at my past and make judgments about who they think I am. That does not matter. Some would look at it and see my inner strength. Inner strength comes from God. Some would still see God’s Love through it all. The latter is what I choose to see.

God’s Love is always there no matter what it is that you are seemingly going through. You will be strong as you let Him lead you down the road. Accept Him and you accept that the obstacles will be cleared from your path. You are not your past. You are as God created you to be. I am as God created me to be and that is a shimmering reflection of His unconditional, unlimited, undying LOVE.

Where am I going now? That I do not know. I trust only in Him. I walk the road of truth. I walk to Him. The end of Lesson 155 tells us: “Your feet are safely set upon the road that leads the world to God. Look not to ways that seem to lead you elsewhere. Dreams are not a worthy guide for you who are God’s Son. Forget not He has placed His Hand in yours, and given you your brothers in His trust that you are worthy of His trust in you. He cannot be deceived. His trust has made your pathway certain and your goal secure. You will not fail your brothers nor your Self. “And now He asks but that you think of Him a while each day, that He may speak to you and tell you of His Love, reminding you how great His trust; how limitless His Love. In your Name and His Own, which are the same, we practice gladly with this thought today: I will step back and let Him lead the way, For I would walk along the road to Him.” (W-155.13-14)

How lovely are these thoughts! How glorious to place trust in Him! Let us walk together brothers and hurry Home.

Rev. Deb Frantz is a Pathways of Light minister living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

© 2004, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2004

Above All Else I Want to See Differently

by Rev. Mary Stoelting

One of the main goals of A Course in Miracles is to help me see the ego thought system clearly for what it is so that I will be willing to forgive, or let it go. It tells me that the ego thought system (belief in individuality) is not my friend and instead of giving me the freedom it promises, it only imprisons and hides reality from my awareness.

It is becoming clear that when I identify with the ego, it promises uniqueness, specialness and pleasures of the body as its gifts, but what I am really getting is an illusion of a “life” of vulnerability, weakness, conflict and death.

The Course teaches me how to see the difference between the ego’s thought system, whose one intent is to separate, and the Holy Spirit’s goal, which is to return me to the awareness of oneness. The ego separates through projecting guilt and the Holy Spirit unifies by seeing only innocence.

In Chapter 14, Section V it says, “Crucifixion is always the ego’s aim. It sees everyone as guilty, and by its condemnation it would kill. The Holy Spirit sees only guiltlessness, and in His gentleness He would release from fear and re-establish the reign of love.” (T-14.V.10:6-8)

Until I became a student of the Course, I thought it was only natural to think that everything I experienced with the body’s senses was real. Now I see how important it is to be willing to see the world differently with the help of the Holy Spirit. When I first started studying the Course, it seemed to be a shock to learn that the world I appeared to be in was not real. It seemed unsettling to learn that the physical world was completely the opposite of reality.

The good news is that behind the false world that I see through the body’s eyes is the real world. The Course does not leave me in the cold once it helps me understand the world I see with the body’ senses is not real. It shows me very clearly how to move past the false perceptions of the ego, which is the cause of all my unhappiness, to the true perception of the Holy Spirit.

It instructs me how to be successful in opening to an awareness of what is real. In Chapter 14, Section VII I am told, “The search for truth is but the honest searching out of everything that interferes with truth.” (2:1) It also explains that I cannot search for truth inside the ego box (the ego thought system). That is why I need the Holy Spirit to help me see past all the many forms of the tiny mad idea of separation.

The Holy Spirit is the one communication link with the truth, or Reality. The Holy Spirit is always there in my mind, behind all the raucous, busy noise of the ego. But in order for me to hear the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to quiet my mind and listen. I must be willing to take everything I think I believe is real to the Holy Spirit to be undone. “Light cannot enter darkness when a mind believes in darkness, and will not let it go.” (T-14.VII.5:1)

In order to let my mind be healed by the Holy Spirit, I have to be open to seeing the world differently. (See Workbook Lesson 28) I think this lesson gives the most valuable and practical ‘life skill’ I am learning from the Course.

In order to see the world differently I need to have an open mind instead of a closed mind. If I think I already know from past experience, I will not ask for the Holy Spirit’s healing perception. I believe this one habit of accepting Holy Spirit’s help is so important that it is the single thing that makes all the difference between my being happy or unhappy. This practice of consistently accepting Holy Spirit’s help to see everything in this world differently leads me back up the ladder to Heaven.

An important message in the Text about this practice is, “The Holy Spirit asks for you but this; bring to Him every secret you have locked away from him. Open every door to Him, and bid Him enter the darkness and lighten it away. At your request He enters gladly. He brings the light to darkness if you make the darkness open to Him.” (T-14.VII.6:1-4)

The darkness it is referring to is any guilt I am holding onto, be it in myself or another. This darkness is also referring to every apprehension, every care and every form of suffering. (See Lesson 193) As long as I continue to hold onto the ego thought system by believing in a world of time and space, I will be keeping myself in hell. I will not be happy. It will seem to give me a few brief encounters with worldly happiness, but nothing in this world of separation lasts. It was made to be constantly shifting and changing until it ends in death. As long as I continue to believe in a world of separation, I will think that I am separate and alone. “The world I see holds my fearful self-image in place, and guarantees its continuance. While I see the world as I see it now, truth cannot enter my awareness. I would let the door behind this world be opened for me, that I may look past it to the world that reflects the Love of God.” (W-pI.56.3:2-4)

Everything I experience in the world is coming from my mind. As I let my mind be changed, my experience of the world changes because the world has not left my mind. I want to be consistently happy. I want to awaken to the truth and see a world that reflects the Love of God. That is why above all else, I want to see differently. That is why my one goal is to take every apprehension and every concern to the Holy Spirit for it to be undone.

This is the process of true forgiveness. This daily practice sets me free. “The constancy of happiness has no exceptions; no change of any kind. It is unshakable as is the Love of God for His creation. Sure in its vision as Its Creator is in what He knows, happiness looks on everything and sees it is the same. It sees not the ephemeral, for it desires everything be like itself, and sees it so.” (T-21.VIII.2:3-6)

What do I desire to see? Do I want to see differences and the constantly changing, or do I want to see only the eternal? In order to be consistently happy, my one choice now is to see past differences to the one eternal Love that is always there. Above all else I want to see differently through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As I choose in my heart of hearts, I receive.

Rev. Mary Stoelting is a co-founder of Pathways of Light. She lives in Kiel, Wisconsin

© 2004, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2004

My Mother’s Day Lesson

by Rev. Derek Dube, O.M.C.

Eva and I were baby sitting our granddaughter, Devon, the day before Mother’s Day and decided to take her to the park. Devon loves the park! We parked the car in the lot and while Eva and Devon were getting their jackets on, I walked up the path ahead of them.

Just then, a young boy, aged 8 or 9, came toward me on the path and asked if he could use my cell phone. Now I don’t consider myself to be a prejudiced person, but all kinds of judgmental thoughts came to my mind immediately (you know, those ego sort of thoughts). This boy happened to be black. The judgmental thoughts that instantly came to my mind were from my past experiences of being held up a couple of times, comments that I had heard growing up in my community, and all the stereotypical beliefs that I had bought into over time. They included such thoughts that this kid was telling me a lie, he was going to run away with my phone, he was going to make all kinds of long distant calls, cost me all kinds of money, etc.

I decided to question him a little bit because I was aware that I did not trust him. He told me his family was from out of town and his mom had driven away and left him there without saying anything to him. I thought, “Yeah, right, this is a good story.” I decided that I would call his mom and find out what happened. I dialed the number he gave and when a woman answered, I told her what the boy had told me. She apologized and said she had to make an emergency run to the rest room with her daughter and would be right back. She thanked me for my concern and apologized again. I told the boy what his mom had said, so he sat down on the curb and waited for her to return.

Eva, Devon and I went on to the playground area. While Devon was on the slides, I went over and sat down by myself. I was very aware of a deep feeling of guilt and shame which was causing a pain in my stomach. How could I be filled with such mistrust for a child coming to me for help? I was very critical of myself for being such a “bad” person.

I watched the child out of the corner of my eye as he sat on the curb waiting for his mother to come back. In hindsight, I could see how calm and peaceful he was when talking to me. He had a lot of courage to come up to me and gently ask for help. I also noticed how calm he was and he smiled a lot. In a few minutes, the boy’s mother came back and he and his sister joined her on the path towards the playground.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I go over and talk to them, see if everything was all right? I felt a paralyzing feeling in my body, I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to go over and apologize, but I couldn’t move. I was a victim of my own self-criticism and it seemed overwhelming. Eva noticed the family and told me she was going over to talk to them. I wanted to go over and talk to them too. Somehow, Eva saying that gave me the strength to stand up and walk over to them with her. I apologized to the boy for not trusting him and thanked him for his courage. We small talked with the family for a few minutes and then went back to our own activities.

Later that night after contemplating the events at the park, I realized how accepting and peaceful the mom and her two children were and how I was in the loving energy that they were extending outward. I felt no judgment coming from them in any way. I got the feeling that this mom was a very loving person and was modeling that to her children. The only gifts I received from them were smiles, love, acceptance, understanding and ……. I can’t really think of the perfect word for what I experienced in that moment, but it was simply beautiful. I truly feel that on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, 2004, I was visited by three angels who were there to gently help me release some old, unconscious baggage that has needed to be let go of for a long, long time. I’m very grateful for the experience I was gifted and for Eva’s part in the nudging me over to talk to them.

Derek Dube is a Pathways of Light minister living in Brookfield Wisconsin.

© 2004, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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