Thank you Sean, a lovely reminder of the same love that the Holy Spirit has for all of us.
You said it perfectly "In quiet today, let us hear the Voice that does not see us as separated by time or space, by ability or belief, by appearance or aspect." If only I could manage this as He does.
It is a good reminder that the Holy Spirit does see us all equally, that can be hard to take sometimes, especially with our default for judgement and lack of self-worth. I always think of it as how you feel with your siblings, it can be difficult to accept that your parents love their children equally, difficult to understand that love is not measurable and that to your parents you are all worthy of the same love. There is a bond with your parents that even when they, or you, behave badly there is a thread that runs between you that is unbreakable.
You can have only one earthly Mother, only one earthly Father and somehow that gives an extra bond. If only we could recognise that in our relationship with our true Father. And if only we could see all those we see in any moment as our true brothers and sisters with the same bond and reality that we feel here with our earthly family. Then I am sure it would help us to see the truth that there is no separation between us, that we are the Children of God who loves us all equally beyond measure.
Thank you for this comment, and for waiting so patiently while I worked out my response to it. The truth is, it triggered me, and that was strange. I am rarely - in the space of ACIM specifically, and spirituality generally - triggered.
But this comment just instantly dropped me into a VERY uncomfortable space.
By "triggered" I mean, my reaction was immediately and intensely defensive. Everything in me said, "no, she's wrong - she's making a bad argument."
But because it was you who wrote it, that wasn't really a sustainable response. I mean, it's NEVER a truly sustainable response but it was hard to find my way out of the discomfort by blaming you or going to war with your ideas because my sense of you is: take this person seriously, trust this person's ideas, be this person's ally, et cetera.
So for weeks - literally - I have been trying to work through a thoughtful response to this comment and utterly failing.
On the one hand, I want to try and explain to you how I understand "family" in the context of ACIM and my spiritual practice, which has literally no biological corollary at all, and is very grounded in scholarly approaches to the historical Jesus (it's well thought out but kind of elitist, hard to practice, etc)
AND I want to share with you why - for me - family (parents and siblings, specifically) is such painfully difficult territory for me to navigate. Brutally so.
And it just hasn't worked. I can't seem to write a thoughtful response. And that is - as you know - perfectly okay. But also, it is a site of conflict and therefore a potential site of healing so . . . I keep coming back.
So let me add this, okay?
Your careful reading of my work and your willingness to extend it in comments and whatnot is incredibly valuable to me. I am deeply grateful. It helps. Truly.
I WILL gain some measure of clarity with respect to these ideas at some point, and find a way to articulate them in writing. I HAVE to do this - the Holy Spirit will accept nothing else. And I hope when I do that you will read it and respond to it, helping me better understand both the conflict and the solution.
Finally, this. I think of you as a friend, and I hope that is okay. A couple times I was going to just email you to let you know where I was at but I have strict rules for myself about engaging WHERE readers engage and not being presumptuous.
But part of being friends is not ignoring each other, and I ignored this, and so, again, I apologize.
And also again, thank you Suzy, for being such a helpful fellow traveler. Don't give up on me!
Firstly Sean my love, I am so so sorry to have given you such a struggle for the past few weeks, I am so sad to think that anything I have written to you has brought you any form of distress. And secondly, thank you for your total honesty and for your love and appreciation of me, as that means more to me than anything, especially when it has been causing you such painful deep reflection and soul-searching.
I did re-read my message to you and I can see that it seems very dualistic and earthly in regards to families and 'special love'. I know it would seem that from what I wrote that I believe in happy families, that we all have this lovely bond with our parents and siblings but nothing could be further from the truth.
My own family was very dysfunctional indeed. In fact I and my two siblings have had lots of baggage to get through. I thought for a long time that my parents and my siblings were the cause a lot of my unhappiness in life, that is, until I realised the Truth.
It has taken years for me to see past all the pain, cruelty and sadness as not personal and to see only the unfolding of it as what is. When you see past the pain to Truth there is only peace and love. Everything including my family was a gift, a gift to finding true love, the love that is behind the illusion of it. We are all connected to everything we see and experience here because it is for us, it is us, we are simply walking the pathway Home as we experience everything here.
So although it may seem that I was looking through rose tinted glasses, I was in fact trying to see past the earthly families to the truth of only Love.
I suppose what I was trying to say in my clumsy way was that it is very difficult for us to love a child we see in the park, or a friends child, or our own child's friend from school as we do for our own child. We may have great affection for them but I think if we are truly honest we don't love them to the same degree. I just thought how much the world here would change if we could love every child as we do our own, love every mother, father and sibling as our own. If we could have the same connection with everyone as we do with our own and if we could feel this way with the family two streets away, because I don't think we do.
I don't know how you feel about families Sean it is true, and perhaps when you feel ready you will let me know. Just after I read your reply I sat down to read the text as I always do in the morning, and my part to read for that day was Chapter 12 'The Sanity of Love' 1. Interpreting the Motives of Others'. (The Circle of Atonement, Purple book) or Chapter 12 'The Holy Spirits Curriculum' 1. The Judgment of the Holy Spirit. (Blue Book) For me it is the Purple book now. I found it really helpful, it is funny how just the right thing pops into view when you need it :)
I believe that everything thing that happens here in this world we find ourselves in right now is just an unfolding until we know the truth of only love and we do all know the truth of love we have simply forgotten it. I suppose I felt I had suddenly remembered the truth of real Love when reading your post that day. I simply remembered the Love past the bodies we think we are. It was very real and beautiful for me in that moment. I just don't think that I articulated it very well.
Anyway Sean, I appreciate you, I love you and I respect you, so thank you for being there. I am always happy for you to email me, especially it you are struggling with something I have posted. On the other hand though, I sometimes think that these posts, all of them even when uncomfortable ones, are good for others to read and learn from. Even if it is only on how not to think ;)
Much Love to You as Always and Bless You, Suzy xxx
Beautifully said: “…the ego's frantic emphasis on the value of differences”. It is a frantic emphasis, isn’t it? And in looking for the value of differences, my ego is looking for something that doesn’t exist, if I am to understand ACIM correctly. I’d like to think that’s one way to more readily discern what’s true within me (the Holy Spirit) and what is not (the ego). The Holy Spirit just “feels” good and right and true. And when I’m caught up in ego, I’m restless, irritable and discontent. I’m grateful for the thoughts you share, and I’m grateful that ACIM is helping me to make better choices, day by day. Thanks Sean.
You're welcome Mark. Yes, "frantic" always feels like a good description of ego. Kind of scared, kind of aggressive, kind of dramatic. And it is absolutely directing our attention to what is illusory, tangling us up in unhelpful fictions. I agree it's helpful to just notice our general state: listening to the Holy Spirit produces calm, quiet, helpfulness, and all of it sustainable. That state absolutely produces better choices and actions. It has taken me a long time to learn that and I still need daily reminders :) Thanks for being here, Mark.
I really enjoy your shares. They are well thought out and easy for me to understand. And when you include the place in the Course for reference, I go right to my Book and highlight 🤗
I’m so blessed to have found your site and We know nothing happens by chance.
Thank you Sean, a lovely reminder of the same love that the Holy Spirit has for all of us.
You said it perfectly "In quiet today, let us hear the Voice that does not see us as separated by time or space, by ability or belief, by appearance or aspect." If only I could manage this as He does.
It is a good reminder that the Holy Spirit does see us all equally, that can be hard to take sometimes, especially with our default for judgement and lack of self-worth. I always think of it as how you feel with your siblings, it can be difficult to accept that your parents love their children equally, difficult to understand that love is not measurable and that to your parents you are all worthy of the same love. There is a bond with your parents that even when they, or you, behave badly there is a thread that runs between you that is unbreakable.
You can have only one earthly Mother, only one earthly Father and somehow that gives an extra bond. If only we could recognise that in our relationship with our true Father. And if only we could see all those we see in any moment as our true brothers and sisters with the same bond and reality that we feel here with our earthly family. Then I am sure it would help us to see the truth that there is no separation between us, that we are the Children of God who loves us all equally beyond measure.
Much Love to You Sean as Always, Suzy xxx
Dear Suzy,
Thank you for this comment, and for waiting so patiently while I worked out my response to it. The truth is, it triggered me, and that was strange. I am rarely - in the space of ACIM specifically, and spirituality generally - triggered.
But this comment just instantly dropped me into a VERY uncomfortable space.
By "triggered" I mean, my reaction was immediately and intensely defensive. Everything in me said, "no, she's wrong - she's making a bad argument."
But because it was you who wrote it, that wasn't really a sustainable response. I mean, it's NEVER a truly sustainable response but it was hard to find my way out of the discomfort by blaming you or going to war with your ideas because my sense of you is: take this person seriously, trust this person's ideas, be this person's ally, et cetera.
So for weeks - literally - I have been trying to work through a thoughtful response to this comment and utterly failing.
On the one hand, I want to try and explain to you how I understand "family" in the context of ACIM and my spiritual practice, which has literally no biological corollary at all, and is very grounded in scholarly approaches to the historical Jesus (it's well thought out but kind of elitist, hard to practice, etc)
AND I want to share with you why - for me - family (parents and siblings, specifically) is such painfully difficult territory for me to navigate. Brutally so.
And it just hasn't worked. I can't seem to write a thoughtful response. And that is - as you know - perfectly okay. But also, it is a site of conflict and therefore a potential site of healing so . . . I keep coming back.
So let me add this, okay?
Your careful reading of my work and your willingness to extend it in comments and whatnot is incredibly valuable to me. I am deeply grateful. It helps. Truly.
I WILL gain some measure of clarity with respect to these ideas at some point, and find a way to articulate them in writing. I HAVE to do this - the Holy Spirit will accept nothing else. And I hope when I do that you will read it and respond to it, helping me better understand both the conflict and the solution.
Finally, this. I think of you as a friend, and I hope that is okay. A couple times I was going to just email you to let you know where I was at but I have strict rules for myself about engaging WHERE readers engage and not being presumptuous.
But part of being friends is not ignoring each other, and I ignored this, and so, again, I apologize.
And also again, thank you Suzy, for being such a helpful fellow traveler. Don't give up on me!
Love,
Sean
Firstly Sean my love, I am so so sorry to have given you such a struggle for the past few weeks, I am so sad to think that anything I have written to you has brought you any form of distress. And secondly, thank you for your total honesty and for your love and appreciation of me, as that means more to me than anything, especially when it has been causing you such painful deep reflection and soul-searching.
I did re-read my message to you and I can see that it seems very dualistic and earthly in regards to families and 'special love'. I know it would seem that from what I wrote that I believe in happy families, that we all have this lovely bond with our parents and siblings but nothing could be further from the truth.
My own family was very dysfunctional indeed. In fact I and my two siblings have had lots of baggage to get through. I thought for a long time that my parents and my siblings were the cause a lot of my unhappiness in life, that is, until I realised the Truth.
It has taken years for me to see past all the pain, cruelty and sadness as not personal and to see only the unfolding of it as what is. When you see past the pain to Truth there is only peace and love. Everything including my family was a gift, a gift to finding true love, the love that is behind the illusion of it. We are all connected to everything we see and experience here because it is for us, it is us, we are simply walking the pathway Home as we experience everything here.
So although it may seem that I was looking through rose tinted glasses, I was in fact trying to see past the earthly families to the truth of only Love.
I suppose what I was trying to say in my clumsy way was that it is very difficult for us to love a child we see in the park, or a friends child, or our own child's friend from school as we do for our own child. We may have great affection for them but I think if we are truly honest we don't love them to the same degree. I just thought how much the world here would change if we could love every child as we do our own, love every mother, father and sibling as our own. If we could have the same connection with everyone as we do with our own and if we could feel this way with the family two streets away, because I don't think we do.
I don't know how you feel about families Sean it is true, and perhaps when you feel ready you will let me know. Just after I read your reply I sat down to read the text as I always do in the morning, and my part to read for that day was Chapter 12 'The Sanity of Love' 1. Interpreting the Motives of Others'. (The Circle of Atonement, Purple book) or Chapter 12 'The Holy Spirits Curriculum' 1. The Judgment of the Holy Spirit. (Blue Book) For me it is the Purple book now. I found it really helpful, it is funny how just the right thing pops into view when you need it :)
I believe that everything thing that happens here in this world we find ourselves in right now is just an unfolding until we know the truth of only love and we do all know the truth of love we have simply forgotten it. I suppose I felt I had suddenly remembered the truth of real Love when reading your post that day. I simply remembered the Love past the bodies we think we are. It was very real and beautiful for me in that moment. I just don't think that I articulated it very well.
Anyway Sean, I appreciate you, I love you and I respect you, so thank you for being there. I am always happy for you to email me, especially it you are struggling with something I have posted. On the other hand though, I sometimes think that these posts, all of them even when uncomfortable ones, are good for others to read and learn from. Even if it is only on how not to think ;)
Much Love to You as Always and Bless You, Suzy xxx
Thank you Suzy 🙏🙏
Beautifully said: “…the ego's frantic emphasis on the value of differences”. It is a frantic emphasis, isn’t it? And in looking for the value of differences, my ego is looking for something that doesn’t exist, if I am to understand ACIM correctly. I’d like to think that’s one way to more readily discern what’s true within me (the Holy Spirit) and what is not (the ego). The Holy Spirit just “feels” good and right and true. And when I’m caught up in ego, I’m restless, irritable and discontent. I’m grateful for the thoughts you share, and I’m grateful that ACIM is helping me to make better choices, day by day. Thanks Sean.
You're welcome Mark. Yes, "frantic" always feels like a good description of ego. Kind of scared, kind of aggressive, kind of dramatic. And it is absolutely directing our attention to what is illusory, tangling us up in unhelpful fictions. I agree it's helpful to just notice our general state: listening to the Holy Spirit produces calm, quiet, helpfulness, and all of it sustainable. That state absolutely produces better choices and actions. It has taken me a long time to learn that and I still need daily reminders :) Thanks for being here, Mark.
~ Sean
Thank you Sean ❤️🙏
You're welcome, Sharon. Thanks for reading - hope all is well 🙏🙏
~ Sean
I really enjoy your shares. They are well thought out and easy for me to understand. And when you include the place in the Course for reference, I go right to my Book and highlight 🤗
I’m so blessed to have found your site and We know nothing happens by chance.
Be well
Sharon
❤️
❤️ right back Jennifer :) Thank you for being here.
~ Sean