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March 28, 2008 at 05:39:18
From "A Course in Miracles": Defenselessness is Strength by Peace Brother Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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The following is adapted from Lesson 153 of the Workbook for Students that accompanies the book “A Course in Miracles”. Though I am finding this book surprisingly different from what I had imagined from the title, I have found this book to be very thought-provoking, enjoyable and well-written. Below are several excerpts from Lesson 153: You who feel threatened by this changing world, its twists of fortune and its bitter jests, its brief relationships and all the “gifts” it merely lends to take away again; attend this lesson well. The world provides no safety. It is rooted in attack, and all its “gifts” of seeming safety are illusory deceptions. It attacks, and then attacks again. No peace of mind is possible where danger threatens thus. The world gives rise but to defensiveness. For threat brings anger, anger makes attack seem reasonable, honestly provoked, and righteous in the name of self-defense. Yet is defensiveness a double threat. For it attests to weakness, and sets up a system of defense that cannot work…… The mind is now confused, and knows not where to turn to find escape from its imaginings. Attack, defense; defense, attack, become the circles of the hours and the days that bind the mind in heavy bands of steel with iron overlaid, returning but to start again….
In my defenselessness my safety lies.
The sense of threat the world encourages is so much deeper, and so far beyond the frenzy and intensity of which you can conceive, that you have no idea of all the devastation it has wrought.
You are its slave. You know not what you do, in fear of it…. You do not realize what you have done to sabotage the holy peace of God by your defensiveness…
Defenselessness is strength. It testifies to recognition of the Christ in you…. Choice is always made between Christ’s strength and your own weakness, seen apart from Him. Defenselessness can never be attacked, because it recognizes strength so great attack is folly, or a silly game a tired child might play, when he becomes too sleepy to remember what he wants.
Defensiveness is weakness. It proclaims you have denied the Christ and come to fear His Father’s anger. What can save you now from your delusion of an angry god, whose fearful image you believe you see at work in all the evils of the world? What but illusions could defend you now, when it is but illusions that you fight?
We will not play such childish games…. We would not exchange for foolishness the endless joy our function offers us. We would not let our happiness slip by because a fragment of a senseless dream happened to cross our minds, and we mistook the figures in it for the Son of God; its tiny instant for eternity.
We look past dreams…. We cannot fear, for we have left all fearful thoughts behind. And in defenselessness we stand secure, serenely certain of our safety now, sure of salvation; sure we will fulfill our chosen purpose, as our ministry extends its holy blessing through the world….
Think how holy is your purpose, how secure you rest, untouchable within its light. God’s ministers have chosen that the truth be with them. Who is holier than they? Who could be surer that his happiness if fully guaranteed? And who could be more mightily protected? What defense could possibly be needed by the ones who are among the chosen ones of God, by His election and their own as well?
God has elected all, but few have come to realize His Will is but their own…. Learn that light has come to you, and your escape has been accomplished….
Salvation can be thought of as a game that happy children play. It was designed by One Who loves His children, and Who would replace their fearful toys with joyous games, which teach them that the game of fear is gone. His game instructs in happiness, because there is no loser. Everyone who plays must win, and in his winning is the gain to everyone ensured. The game of fear is gladly laid aside, when children come to see the benefits salvation brings.
You who have played that you are lost to hope, abandoned by your Father, left alone in terror in a fearful world made mad by sin and guilt; be happy now. That game is over. Now a quiet time has come, in which we put away the toys of guilt, and lock our quaint and childish thoughts of sin forever from the pure and holy minds of Heaven’s children and the Son of God……. "
While this book was published in 1975, I have only recently stumbled onto it. I find myself wishing I had discovered this book much earlier. I am eternally grateful to the author of this fine work.
While many of the ideas presented in A Course in Miracles can be somewhat difficult to swallow, the book text and its accompanying Workbook for Students offers a refreshing perspective that makes for inspirational reading.
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| 7 comments |
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A Long Wonderful Read...A Great Book
If you enjoyed 'A Course In Miracles'. You really enjoy a series of books By Neal Donald Walsh called "Conversations With God" ... I can name three books that have truly changed my life and Conversations With God is one of them. Neal writes from his perspective as a person raised as a Roman Catholic...so if you understand that going in you realize that the majority of the conversations with "god" are going to revolve around the Christ. But Neal has spent many years of his life looking into all the worlds religions. And does a great job of thinking outside of the box with his questions. by Scott Ledger (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 135 comments) on Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 8:36:14 PM  (0+)
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Reply: Long and Wonderful Indeed
Thanks for the recommendation Scott. I'll definitely check that out. I agree that "Miracles" is indeed a long and wonderful read. I'm still reading it for the first time and when I finish I plan to start over reading it again, hopefully to help it to further "sink in". I should have mentioned in my article that the human authors of A Course in Miracles are two (at the time it was written anyway) Columbia University Professors named Helen Schucman and William Thetford. However, I DO believe that this book was definitely divinely inspired. Many consider such a comment or view to be heresy, but I believe that our Creator speaks to us through many different channels. "Miracles" has certainly changed the way I look at the world.... Thanks again for the heads up Scott. Peace Brother! by Kris Malmquist (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 108 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 2:06:50 AM (0+)
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what about the individual?
Your comments make sense if they are coming from a communal perspective, but what of the individual? Do you think all these dead women we read about just about every other day found "strength" in their "defenselessness" against the violent predators who brutalized and murdered them? Or, as a typical leftist, do you not care about the individual? Personally, since I'm a chick, I find part of my strength is being an individual who is able to freely defend herself against any scumbag who would rather I be "defenseless." You let your Mother and sister and daughter be "strong" by being "defenseless," but don't force that delusional crap on any other individual please. (Although I'm sure Ted Bundy, among others, would've loved your idea about defenseless victims being strong...) by shielah jones (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 94 comments [8 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 10:06:21 AM (0+)
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I agree with sheila
I read A course in Miracles, I found it laughable because it's so totally delusional and divorced from reality. People become defensive because it's a strategy necessary for survival in this world full of violence and predators; if you don't stay alert and on your guard, you get preyed upon and you might die, period. that"s why these '' message of hope'' books are popular and sell so well--they sell a dream, a comforting vision of this world that people prefer to harsh unpleasant realities. that's spiritual bromide, opium for the masses, soothing lies, feel good stuff, old hat; frankly, what the point? by francine (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 385 comments) on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 11:51:31 AM (0+)
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Reply: What is ultimate reality?
Ladies I will not argue that there are not villains in this world. But I will argue what the cause and cure should be. If life is only ...what you can see, hear, touch, taste and feel, Then pick up your gun and shoot the bad guy.(problem solved) Man kind has used that answer to the problem for about 10,000 years now. The problem is, eventually somebody makes a bigger gun than the one you have, and your back to square one. by Scott Ledger (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 135 comments) on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 6:10:37 PM (0+)
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Reply: Very Well Explained
It amazes me that, after all these years, we still think violence solves the problem of violence. It's a never ending cycle we must break free of. But America is all about who has the biggest gun and egos will never see... by Judy Ramsey (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 93 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Mar 31, 2008 at 3:04:18 PM (0+)
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What Was I Thinking??
You are absolutely right! The only thing I might add to your comments is that all those well-intentioned but badly misguided Ay-rab-loving, tree-hugging commy-madrassa-attending, Allah-worshipping naive sheople out there who like to complain about everything need to wake up every morning and thank their lucky stars that the whole world is not made up of people like THEM. If not for those few brave visionaries willing to realistically stand up and confront these terrorists and extremists head on, instead of burying their heads in the sand and waving their flowers as they surrender, they wouldn't be able to post all their anti-American garbage propaganda from the safety and comfort of their own homes or offices. What the heck was I thinking?? by Kris Malmquist (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 108 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 1:01:00 PM (0+)
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