Miracles News

July-September, 2010

The One About John Galt

Rev. Steve Mead

In John’s radio address to the nation, he assures everyone that “A will always equal A.” I immediately thought of the often-mentioned law in A Course in Miracles, “The Truth is always true.” Why is that sentence of such impeccable logic so difficult to understand?

When I first picked up the book A Course in Miracles in 2003, I was involved as the lead actor in the play, “Dark Night of the Soul.” Of course I am speaking metaphorically, but at the time my situation, as I saw it, was so desperate, so painful and so hopeless that all I could do was utter the phrase, “there must be a better way.” (Who is John Galt?)

As I started my study of ACIM, encouraged with one of the opening phrases, “nothing real can be threatened,” I eagerly read on, waiting to come to the place where I would see the spiritual reason why others had wronged me. After all, my love was real. My love should have never resulted in suffering. My love was so special! (Who is John Galt?)

Reading A Course in Miracles is not for the faint of heart. By the time I got to chapter 24, “The goal of specialness,” I saw that what I had considered “real and holy love,” was actually just a poor substitute for an energy I wanted to spend the rest of my life in. “Look on your brother, and behold in him the whole reversal of the laws that seem to rule this world.” (T-24.VI.5:1) At that time in my life, all I was capable of beholding was “my brother (intimate partner) was wrong!” (Who is John Galt?)

As every student of the course finds out, another possibility is presented, giving us an additional choice in the belief, “my brother is/was wrong.” “Ok,” I thought, “maybe I did confuse love with fantasy, holiness with specialness, and sacrifice with well being,” If I am ever in the position of a new partner, I’ll just do things differently. (Who is John Galt?)

Naturally, the opportunity presented itself almost immediately. My new game plan was to always be spiritual, never expect anything from her, and never give her reason to expect anything from me except the promise that “I only want your happiness for you!” My ego congratulated me with a real back-slapping sense of “Good plan, Stephan. That can’t possibly fail! You can keep yourself protected from ever being hurt again.” Guess what happens to my ego-made plans!

In the novel, Atlas Shrugged, John Galt sees individuals and society itself play out the effects of believing ego thoughts, while he stayed in the world, but not of the world. The deeper I read into the book, the more I saw the principles of the Course and how I had yet created one more relationship disaster. In the quietness of my heart, I asked again, “Why can’t things go my way?” (Who is John Galt?)

You see what you believe is there, and you believe it there because you want it there. Perception has no other law than this. (T-25.III.1:3-4) A wonderful consequence of devoting time with the Course is that suffering becomes much more intolerable. As I became more willing to let the Holy Spirit direct my thinking, my perceptions changed and the people (my brothers) who could be most beneficial to me, were right there in my life to help me heal. My ex wife, my ex girlfriend and John Galt.

Rev. Stephan Mead is a Pathways of Light minister living in Seattle, Washington. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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