ACIM Workbook Lesson 247 Without forgiveness I will still be blind. Sin is the symbol of attack. ²Behold it anywhere, and I will suffer.
Without forgiveness I will still be blind.
1. Sin is the symbol of attack. ²Behold it anywhere, and I will suffer. ³For forgiveness is the only means whereby Christ’s vision comes to me. ⁴Let me accept what His sight shows me as the simple truth, and I am healed completely. ⁵Brother, come and let me look on you. ⁶Your loveliness reflects my own. ⁷Your sinlessness is mine. ⁸You stand forgiven, and I stand with you.
2. So would I look on everyone today. ²My brothers are Your Sons. ³Your Fatherhood created them, and gave them all to me as part of You, and my own Self as well. ⁴Today I honor You through them, and thus I hope this day to recognize my Self.
Don’t Fall In the Trap
It is easy to fall into the trap of seeing sin in ourselves or others. I just read the news to gauge how I am doing with that. Or maybe start discussing politics with someone. I understand completely that I cannot enter the presence of God if I attack His Son. I also understand that if I attack another, I attack myself and will suffer for it. I understand that we are joined as the Christ and so I cannot attack another, there is only one and I am part of that one, so no matter what it looks like, I really am always attacking myself.
You Stand Forgiven, and I Stand With You
As I began to remember who I am, I began to remember who everyone else is. Here is what I love reading from this lesson. ⁵Brother, come and let me look on you. ⁶Your loveliness reflects my own. ⁷Your sinlessness is mine. ⁸You stand forgiven, and I stand with you. Oh, my dear God, what a thought! I think of different people who are in my life as I read this, and my heart opens wide. I feel so much love and happiness!
It is hard to imagine that I was ever foolish enough to judge anyone, and yet, I know that this has happened and probably will again. But I also know that I can choose again. I can choose to filter the world through the ego split mind or through the Holy Spirit. That is the limit of my choices and for that I am grateful. If I choose to perceive someone as guilty, I notice how that feels and what the effects of this choice turn out to be. If I am not joyful, I know that I will choose again and this time with the Holy Spirit. I am keeping this lesson handy and reading those beautiful words again so that I can have the experience they promise.
From What Is the World?
⁴Hear His Voice alone in all that speaks to you.
Some years ago, I was involved in a misunderstanding with a friend. He thought I had abandoned him and felt unfairly treated. I thought he was being unreasonable and was impatient with him. It took quite some time to work this out because we were both looking at it from the perspective of the separate self. If this were happening today, it would be different. I might have similar thoughts at first, but I no longer stay with that perspective.
I would find the idea of attack and defend too painful to tolerate long. My other choice would be to open my mind to the Holy Spirit and hear His word and only His. I would recognize that my friend was asking me to love him, and what can one give to this request except for love? Doing so would give me Christ’s Vision and I would see in him the brilliant light that he is. What if he is not ready to accept this gift? Then I would wait patiently knowing that the gift is given and so my part is done. This new way of being in the world is the result of consistent practice.
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