WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S TEACHERS?
page 16, paragraph 3
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S TEACHERS?
X. Open-Mindedness
3 You may have noticed that the list of attributes of God’s teachers does not include things that are the Son of God’s inheritance. 2Terms like love, sinlessness, perfection, knowledge and eternal truth do not appear in this context. 3They would be most inappropriate here. 4What God has given is so far beyond our curriculum that learning but disappears in its presence. 5Yet while its presence is obscured, the focus properly belongs on the curriculum. 6It is the function of God’s teachers to bring true learning to the world. 7Properly speaking it is unlearning that they bring, for that is “true learning” in the world. 8It is given to the teachers of God to bring the glad tidings of complete forgiveness to the world. 9Blessed indeed are they, for they are the bringers of salvation.
Fantasy Thinking
I can accurately say that I am sinless and perfect and already awakened, and while that is all true, it may not be the most helpful thing in the moment. In this fantasy, regardless of how true those attributes are I don’t really believe them. I am wrong about that but as Jesus says, what I believe is true for me.
Forgiveness Curriculum
Right now the focus properly belongs on the curriculum of forgiveness, that is, the undoing of all that I do believe right now. This is my part in bringing salvation to me and to all the world. Then, I can say with complete honesty that I am sinless and perfect and awakened, only there will be no reason to say it because there will be no thought of a possible opposite.
Unlearning
Unlearning is our goal now and it is pretty simple to tell what needs to be unlearned. I only need to notice what is going on in the world to see that there is unlearning to be done and to notice my reaction to what I see to know my part in the unlearning process. If I have an emotional response to what I see then I have something to forgive.
Unforgiveness
There is forgiveness work to be done if I am:
- wishing I had done better in the past
- worried about something that might happen
- sad or depressed, angry or fearful or feel guilty
These emotional responses to specific incidences point to unforgiveness and let me know that I still have some belief that needs to be undone.
True Leaning
This work is “true learning” in the world. Once this is done or rather undone, the truth will be revealed. It does not need our help and we do not need to learn anything about the truth. The truth did not go anywhere because we chose to believe something else. As soon as we unlearn the false the truth is simply apparent.