Chapter 14. V. The Circle of Atonement P 6, 7
V. The Circle of Atonement
6. Teachers of innocence, each in his own way, have joined together, taking their part in the unified curriculum of the Atonement. ²There is no unity of learning goals apart from this. ³There is no conflict in this curriculum, which has one aim however it is taught. ⁴Each effort made on its behalf is offered for the single purpose of release from guilt, to the eternal glory of God and His creation. ⁵And every teaching that points to this points straight to Heaven, and the peace of God. ⁶There is no pain, no trial, no fear that teaching this can fail to overcome. ⁷The power of God Himself supports this teaching, and guarantees its limitless results.
7. Join your own efforts to the power that cannot fail and must result in peace. ²No one can be untouched by teaching such as this. ³You will not see yourself beyond the power of God if you teach only this. ⁴You will not be exempt from the effects of this most holy lesson, which seeks but to restore what is the right of God’s creation. ⁵From everyone whom you accord release from guilt you will inevitably learn your innocence. ⁶The circle of Atonement has no end. ⁷And you will find ever-increasing confidence in your safe inclusion in the circle with everyone you bring within its safety and its perfect peace. (ACIM, T-14.V.6:1–7:7)
What these paragraphs are saying to me is simple.
We each become teachers of innocence when we choose guiltlessness as our goal. Our particular part will look different from someone else’s, but the goal is the same, and so we are joined in this endeavor. It is the only thing that allows us to join completely and that cannot fail.
It is our life stories that give us the opportunity to choose innocence over guilt. And so, with the stories being so different, the way we do this makes it appear different. But inevitably, it accomplishes the same goal: ⁴Each effort made on its behalf is offered for the single purpose of release from guilt, to the eternal glory of God and His creation.
No small thing, right? We are reassured that there is nothing that cannot be overcome if we dedicate ourselves to ending guilt. In fact, he says that, ⁷The power of God Himself supports this teaching, and guarantees its limitless results. (ACIM, T-14.V.6:7) I have joined this effort, and so have you if you are still here by this point in the Course. Sometimes, I, and maybe you, too, don’t feel very successful at this holy endeavor. But we are assured of success because we are not doing this on our own power but with the power of God supporting us.
We are certainly getting many opportunities to undo guilt in the mind we all share.
Between our personal lives and relationships and the politics of the day, there are many times that we have had to choose between guilt and innocence. Sometimes I choose wisely and sometimes not. But I always come back to innocence because I am devoted to this cause. I am devoted and actively willing to deny guilt in all its forms.
As I join this commitment to innocence, I teach guiltlessness through forgiving the belief in guilt. I do this each time I see guilt in my mind or anyone else’s. In so doing, I am healed as others are healed. In fact, Jesus says this: ⁵From everyone whom you accord release from guilt you will inevitably learn your innocence. Every time I hear a politician speaking, and I think he is guilty for his words and actions, I have a choice. I can keep this belief in place and reinforce it by sharing it with others. Or I can recognize it as guilt. And since my mission is to release the belief in guilt, I can gladly let that go. This releases both the politician and me.
The more often I do this, the more confident I become in the belief in innocence.
So I apply it to my personal relationships and to my own secret thoughts.
What has happened as I forgive more guilt is that I look forward to the next opportunity. I can look outside myself to see who it is that might need my release because they don’t even know that their failure to forgive is the only problem they have. And I go back in time to forgive all the people in my life who, in my mind, seemed to have been guilty. I ask Jesus: Who, in my awareness, needs love today? And whoever comes into my mind is my target for all this accumulated love. ~smile~ Because what takes the place of guilt is love.
And so I rest in this certainty: as guilt is forgiven, innocence is remembered. The circle closes itself, and I am safely within it.