Ok, you lost me ...
A reflection on Lesson 132: "I loose the world from all I thought it was"
A Course in Miracles: Lesson 132: I loose the world from all I thought it was
Here’s the part where I throw my copy of A Course in Miracles across the room.
I have struggled for the past two days to write something about this lesson that doesn’t make me sound like a woo-woo, New Age freak. I may, indeed, fail at that task, but hear me out. I think if I could actually internalize this lesson, I would instantly become enlightened. Sadly, I am still too wrapped up in my belief in this world to do that at this moment.
A Course, of course, understands. This lesson assures us that "not everyone is ready" to accept that this world is an illusion … that we truly are in a dream world of our own making. We weren’t plopped down into this world as it was going on. We created it from the moment we believed it was real. That’s what this lesson says, anyway.
I’m not sure I’m on board – but that’s why I’m still here, dreaming the dream, playing my role in the world I’ve created. You’d think I would have chosen a better role, but here we are, dreaming together a crazy, mixed-up, mean, cruel and often beautiful and generous world.
I do, however, get the idea about changing our mind – especially the source of our thoughts. My ego appears to be the source of the majority of my thoughts, which means I am relying on the most fearful, anxious, angry, and ridiculous part of myself to shape my ideas, opinions, and beliefs about what it is I think I see, feel, hear, touch, and taste around me.
The entire purpose of A Course‘s is to help us realize that allowing the fearful ego mind to be in control in this way is madness. Need proof? Just look at the world we’ve created. It’s pretty insane, right?
So, change your mind, this lesson says, hand your thoughts over to the only Source that can provide an exit from the madness – the Holy Divine Self that IS the Love we are here seeking to remember that we are. We are as God created us. We are Divine Love. We just love this world of fear more because we think it gives us what we want. We think it gives our lives meaning and purpose.
We are wrong. It gives us nothing and the more we insist on being here, the more suffering we will create for ourselves and others. Should we off ourselves then? Of course not. But we should seek to learn the lessons the Holy Spirit seeks to teach us through our thoughts and experiences. Even when they seem like bullshit to the ego.
When we stop insisting that this world be meaningful, or give us a sense of meaning, we will have taken that first step in loosing the world. The very first lesson in A Course invites us to reorient ourselves in this world and begin admitting that we don’t know what anything means because our ego insists on giving the world its meaning and we blindly assent, not knowing that a better way is possible.
Author and teacher Michael Singer, when asked how he saw the coronavirus pandemic and how he coped with it said this: “It is not my place to understand. It is my place to serve, to honor, to respect. We can all put it together different ways because it will all make us feel better … but my mind doesn’t know anything. It tries to put patterns together, so it feels more comfortable. I can rest on that. I don’t do that. I look at the reality, let it touch whatever it needs to touch inside. It’s not going to change things because I think it’s one way or another. It doesn’t matter if I do, or I don’t (understand). The only thing it’s going to change is how I behave. If I think I understand it can affect my behavior. I would rather let honesty, truth, reality, God be what affects my behavior than some thought pattern I’ve glued together and say now this is what’s going on.”
“It is not my place to understand.”
I think that can sum up this lesson. We don’t need to understand this world. We need to let it pass through us – teach us what we need to learn – and look on this world with Love and compassion. Our calling is to bless, to be the channel for Love, to let it rule our thoughts, hearts, and minds.
These are the words I will take with me today: “It is not my place to understand. It is my place to serve, to honor, to respect.”
When we do that, we do as this lesson instructs: “You free the past from what you thought before. You free the future from all ancient thoughts of seeking what you do not want to find.”
Today, release the world from what you thought it was and what you think it should be. Choose the only Reality there is – Love. As we embrace our entire function in this world – to be the channel for God's Love no matter who is before us or what appears to be happening in the world – then we will be playing our role to free everyone from this nightmarish maze of our collective ego.
Music for the Journey
“Redemption Song” - Bob Marley & The Wailers
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds.”
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About the Motley Mystic:
The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.
Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.