Together, We Light the Way

Lesson 43

God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him.
1. Perception is not an attribute of God. ²His is the realm of knowledge. ³Yet He has created the Holy Spirit as the Mediator between perception and knowledge. ⁴Without this link with God, perception would have replaced knowledge forever in your mind. ⁵With this link with God, perception will become so changed and purified that it will lead to knowledge. ⁶That is its function as the Holy Spirit sees it. ⁷Therefore, that is its function in truth.
2. In God you cannot see. ²Perception has no function in God, and does not exist. ³Yet in salvation, which is the undoing of what never was, perception has a mighty purpose. ⁴Made by the Son of God for an unholy purpose, it must become the means for the restoration of his holiness to his awareness. ⁵Perception has no meaning. ⁶Yet does the Holy Spirit give it a meaning very close to God’s. ⁷Healed perception becomes the means by which the Son of God forgives his brother, and thus forgives himself.
3. You cannot see apart from God because you cannot be apart from God. ²Whatever you do you do in Him, because whatever you think, you think with His Mind. ³If vision is real, and it is real to the extent to which it shares the Holy Spirit’s purpose, then you cannot see apart from God. (ACIM, W-43)

In this lesson, Jesus uses the word ‘see’ to mean perception. What is my interpretation of what the eyes and other senses report to me? What meaning do I give it? To truly understand anything, I must see it through God. I will be misled when I try to understand with the ego. Only one of these voices remembers that we share the same Self.
God is the realm of knowledge and so knows nothing of perception. He gave us the Holy Spirit as our Mediator between perception and knowledge. Thank you, God, for that. Otherwise, we would be forever cut off from knowledge. This is why I continue to develop and refine this communication link with the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, I feel like I am not sure if I am following the Holy Spirit’s guidance or the ego’s guidance. But if I examine the guidance closely, I will generally be able to work that out. The Holy Spirit will always answer for all. He will always guide me toward oneness, love, peace, kindness, sharing, and joining. The ego will not do that. It is always interested in some form of separation, such as anger, hatred, or selfishness. It is the ultimate me, me, me.

I have learned, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to be vigilant for separation thinking. For instance, when deciding how to vote, I consider what is in the best interest of the whole, not just what would be best for me. I try never to erect barriers between me and others, create boundaries that prevent joining, or settle for the ego’s need for specialness of any kind. When that kind of thinking seeps into my mind, I ask the Holy Spirit for guidance as to what to do.

If fear is driving my responses, I can be sure that I am looking at the situation with the ego. Fear and guilt are always hallmarks of ego thinking. Fear drives our worst behaviors in this world. People will allow pain and suffering to be inflicted on others when they are convinced they have something to fear from them. This is so even when the proof is flimsy or invented. When looked at with the ego, this will seem to make sense. To the ego, defenses are the way we keep ourselves separate and thus safe. I am beginning to see that defense is a statement that separation is real.

Jesus, on the other hand, teaches that our safety lies in our defenselessness, which allows us to join. Without the need to protect a separate self, we are free to join. As we come to accept that we are all part of the Oneness that is God, it will no longer make sense to hurt each other. And in that joining, we will discover we were never in danger. But as long as we look at the world through the ego’s filter of fear, we will continue to suffer. As we begin to see with God instead, our perception is corrected, and this is reflected in our lives.

Sometimes, when I have to decide how to respond to someone or some situation, I am guided to say yes and sometimes to say no. My response will be decided by my perception. Perception is so variable that it is hardly a reliable reference point. On my own, I cannot know what is in everyone’s best interest. But in our minds is the Holy Spirit who does know.

Why would I not choose that Advisor rather than the ego that is the embodiment of separation, knowing that separation is the cause of all suffering in the world? I am happy to practice this lesson and grateful for it. I want my perception to be brought as close to the truth as possible. I am willing to let my seeing be used for remembering instead of judging.

I am grateful to let my seeing be corrected. Holy Spirit, decide for God for me.
Video: https://youtu.be/u23GlievVb0

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