Love and Justice

. . . and the End of Self-Imposed Darkness

A Course in Miracles advocates participatory salvation. It teaches us what we are in the middle of the very context we made to hide what we are. That is, it is as bodies in the world that we learn we are not bodies and there is no world. They only prerequisite for this liberation is willingness to share everything with the Holy Spirit.

[The Holy Spirit] cannot use what you withold, for He cannot take it from you without your willingness. For if he did you would believe He wrested it from you against your will. And so you would not learn it is your will to be without it (T-25.VIII.1:2-4).

What do we give the Holy Spirit? Simple. Every single upset, whether big or small. Every single perceived threat to peace and harmony anywhere - in us, in our family, in the world - we give to Him.

The annoyance that we're the one doing the dishes again? Holy Spirit. Our horror over violence in the Middle East? Holy Spirit. Our sadness that we cannot be six or sixteen again? Holy Spirit. Our inability to forget a grudge? And the grudge itself? Holy Spirit.

Nor do we have to do this perfectly or even consistently.

You are not called upon to do what one divided still against himself would find impossible . . . be you thankful that only little faith is asked of you (T-25.VIII.2:5, 7).

A Course in Miracles is, in a nontrivial way, a spiritual practice of showing up.

In my experience, there are two phases to sharing with the Holy Spirit. The first is that we give the triggers and upsets away away because we know that we cannot personally experience peace while clinging to them.

But the second phase - the truly transformational phase - is when we know that keeping triggers and upsets means harming others and we are no longer willing to tolerate harm to others. It's no longer just about me - my peace, my happiness, my awakening. It's about all of us, together.

You need not give it to Him wholly willingly, for you if you could you had no need of Him. But this He needs; that you prefer He take it than that you keep it for yourself alone, and recognize that what brings loss to no one would you know (T-25.VIII.1:5-6).

To not want others to suffer - and to be willing to become responsible for awakening so that they won't suffer - is what justice is. Justice wants peace and harmony for all. It's about the collective, not the individual. It's about public communion, not private accomplishment.

Justice looks on all in the same way. It is not just that one should lack for what another has (T-25.VIII.4:2-3).

All that we need to understand is that we do not “look on all in the same way.” Therefore, we are not in charge of justice. We are here to learn about justice. We are here to practice justice. And to do that, we have to resign as judge, jury and executioner. We have to accept that we are not impartial.

How can the special really understand that justice is the same for everyone? To take from one to give to another must be an injustice to them both, since they are equal in the Holy Spirit's sight. Their Father gave the same inheritance to both (T-25.VIII.13:4-6).

If we are not devoted to perfect peace for all our brothers and sisters than we are unaware that we have already been given perfect peace (T-25.VIII.13:7). We cannot "fairly see another's rights" because our own have become obscure to us, and so we need help (T-25.VIII.13:10). What we are really giving up in our right to translate the world according to the values it taught us.

We refuse to accept the world’s definition of justice and become willing to perceive a new way of relating to our brothers and sisters (broadly defined to include cucumbers, black bears and neutrinos).

You have the right to all the universe; to perfect peace, complete deliverance from all effects of sin, and to the life eternal, joyous and complete in every way, as God appointed for His holy Son. This is the only justice Heaven knows, and all the Holy Spirit brings to earth (T-25.VIII.14:1-2).

"[A]ll the Holy Spirit brings to earth” . . .

. . . is brought forth through us, as we awaken to the truth of what we are.

For only love is justice, and can perceive what justice must accord the Son of God. Let love decide, and never fear that you, in your unfairness, will deprive yourself of what God's justice has allotted you (T-25.VIII.14:6-7).

Is it clear? The less we do, the more the Holy Spirit does through us. The more the Holy Spirit does through us, the more we realize that nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists (T-in.2:2-3). As this realization stabilizes, the more we know the Peace of God, which surpasses understanding and cannot be personalized.

Thank you for sharing this space with me. I am truly grateful. May our shared commitment to understanding and healing be the light we need to undo the self-imposed darkness of our brothers and sisters. May we demonstrate together what it means to be home.

Love,
Sean