I've met so many people who are reading and/or profess to have “studied” or are “currently studying” A Course In Miracles. Many of them become so distressed when they read “... that part of the Text” which, for them, is confusing or against what their ego thought system would have them believe is true. It’s usually some part of the Text driving their ego wild because it fears that the mind of the student will become enlightened and realize that there is no reason to be afraid of what the Course teaches.

I’ve written several article in the past about the ego that, hopefully, made you smile, perhaps even laugh and most importantly, made you think. Here is one more.

For many years and recently, I have heard expressed that there are many conflicting and disturbing ideas in the teachings of the Course. Since the September 11 incident, I have seen several people turn away from the Course. They stated that they couldn’t continue studying it because it teaches that we manifest all things in our life and they couldn’t take responsibility for manifesting the World Trade Center disaster. It’s as if they thought by taking responsibility for their negative thinking on all levels, the world had cast its eyes on them as the sole culprit. They felt they couldn’t possibly have hated to the extent that they would manifest a Bin Laden to commit such a crime against humanity.

These are the same people I have heard on numerous occasions tell me how terrible freeway driving is and how the “stupid people” drive so recklessly. They also say how each of the people on trial now for dog mauling and for killing babies should be put to death. These are the same people who tell me of how certain nationalities are so terrible. I won’t single any of them out, you can just pick any one and run with it and you have the picture, be it: Chinese, Italian, Irish, Polish, Jew, Arab, German, etc. Incidentally, these are the same people who profess to know the Course and have studied it for years. These are the same people who will tell everyone they meet that they are a student of the Course boasting about how much it has affected their mirs. What a strange dichotomy.

These are the same people who, when needs be, find justification as to how difficult the Course is to understand. Ironically, it didn’t seem to be difficult when they were telling everyone how wonderful it was and how it affected their mirs. It does, however, bring up a good point, is the Course difficult? I never have thought so. There is nothing complex about it to those willing the learn. If you are willing to learn, you most certainly are willing to understand. If you are willing to understand, you are willing to learn. How much more simple can it be? Jesus says in the Course, “This course offers a very direct and a very simple learning situation, and provides the Guide Who tells you what to do. If you do it, you will see that it works.” (T-9.V.9.1-2) There are 135 references pointing out how simple things are in the Course. I’ve spared you by quoting only one.

How complex is the Course? How complex do you want to make it? That’s how complex it is and will be – for you. There isn’t one complex sentence in the book. (Oh, I’ll get the email on that statement.) Take, as an example, any of the quotes in this article that are from the Course. Do you really not understand them? Are they really difficult? Or do you just not like the truth of what they are saying? I’m posing the question to those of you who make statements of how “difficult” the Course is to understand. I am also asking the question to all of you in those moments when you choose to believe the Course to be difficult to comprehend.

We have all heard people say, “The Course brings up a lot of garbage.” Well, what’s so terrible about that? Don’t we throw out the garbage in our daily mirs at home? I hope you do. Well, your mind is your home. If there is garbage in there, why not throw it out? Do you prefer to mir with it. If so, enjoy! Unfortunately, I know quite a few people who do prefer to mir with their garbage. In fact, when given every opportunity to be better, they resent it and become more entrenched in their “garbage.” You all know people like that. Yes, we still see them as holy children of God but we certainly don’t have to participate in their scripts. We know people who can quote the Course and, yes, even teach the Course but still continue to mir a lie. It’s as if they are afraid of living the principles of the Course for fear the person they have come to know will be taken away from them; the person they made of themselves.

We know that A Course In Miracles has no vested interest in harming anyone. It has no need or requirement to cause anyone pain or discomfort. In fact, its sole purpose is to help us learn and realize that we are holy children of God and as such are perfect. Its aim is to help bring us home in a way that is painless and joyful. It encourages us to rewrite the scripts we have written that are so ugly and hide the beauty that is there within us. I can certainly well remember having to let go of old beliefs about who I was and how I needed to protect myself lest I lose something. I’m so thankful for the teachings of the Course. It got me through my two cancers and numerous other challenges. Do I believe in the Course? You bet I do. Do I love the Course? No doubt about it. Do I love teaching the Course and helping others to awaken to it truth. Most assuredly!

The Course is one of the most beautiful gifts we are privileged to have. Why then, if we are given a gift of love with love, and no “strings” attached, are some people so unwilling to prepare the way to accept that gift of love? Could it be because we are a suspicious people? Is it a learned behavior? Certainly we weren’t born with it. Or were we? Did we, as a collective mind, agree to this? The answer doesn’t matter because it will never satisfy the ego mind anyway. The important thing is to do something about it – now! To hell with the answer; let’s work on the correction. Jesus says in the Course, “The dilemma cannot be resolved except by accepting the solution of undoing.” (T-5.V.7.9) There is a wonderful song from South Pacific titled, “Children Have To Be Taught To Hate.” We are taught to not trust. We are taught we don’t get something for nothing. We are taught there must be a “catch” to everything, etc. Is this the belief system gift we gave ourselves as a collective mind? Fortunately, we haven’t totally forgotten how to give a gift to someone with love and we haven’t forgotten how to receive a gift with love. Unfortunately, most of the time it is because of a “special” occasion, i.e., birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. When will we learn that every day and every encounter is a holy encounter? Do we need that old proverbial “brick wall” to fall on us? I hope not.

The Course teaches us we need only love in order to have it all. Could it be that since it offers us no material gifts we become skeptical and therefore reluctant to accept these gifts of enlightenment from the Course? After all, we are a material society, for the most part, and the Course doesn’t give us anything we can see or hold in our hands – nothing material and so some people don’t believe the gifts are real.

We’ve all watched children at play and have longed to, once again, capture that childlike innocence that once was ours. Yet, even though the Course teaches us we can have that “child” happiness, some turn away with a smirk that conveys, all too sadly, their disbelief. How sad that one should not know that the gifts of God are genuine and already given him or her by a Parent filled with love and so dedicated to guiding us home. In Lesson 316, the prayer is an acknowledgment of our treasure house of gifts. “My treasure house is full, and angels watch its open doors that not one gift is lost, and only more are added. Let me come to where my treasures are, and enter in where I am truly welcome and at home, among the gifts that God has given me.” (W-pII.316.1:4-5) Could it be that some have so much hate in them that they have become the very hate they express and, consequently, believe their treasure house is empty? Take a good look. Could this be you at any given moment?

The Course teaches us, very simply, to forgive ourselves. To forgive by letting it go and seeing beyond the appearance of our ego perception. It also teaches us that the way home is clear. Still, some refuse to see how simple it is and they blame others for their misfortune. Jesus says in the Course, “The ego has built a shabby and unsheltering home for you, because it cannot build otherwise. Do not try to make this impoverished house stand. Its weakness is your strength. Only God could make a home that is worthy of His creations, who have chosen to leave it empty by their own dispossession.” (T-4.I.11.1-4) Could that be more simply stated? I doubt it. Of course, it takes time to learn to “clean up our act.” Of course it won’t happen “overnight.” Of course, we have to work for it but the “work” involved is merely the “asking.” But, oh my, what fear and trepidation one feels when trying to let go of hatred. Some have kept that black cloud over their head for so long, for so many years, it has become an old friend to them. After all, if they let go of the hatred with what would they replace it? Think about it, you might feel empty, perhaps lonely, insecure, exposed, vulnerable. There you would be, standing alone feeling lost and screaming out, “Holy Spirit, help me!” All the while believing there is no help for you.

I often ask my students, “If you knew you would be ‘saved’ – if you had a personal guarantee, right now, from Holy Spirit that you would be guided home as a result of walking on the path leading you home, would you take it? Would you follow Him on this path, or would it be more fun and exciting to remain in your world of: hatred, jealousy, vindictiveness, misery, etc?” There is always a long, and I do mean long, pause before the answer comes. You may answer it for yourself. Think carefully, my friends and then think again before you answer that question. Choose carefully your answer, for what you choose, you shall have. Remember: “Ask and ye shall receive?” “Seek and ye shall find?” That applies to everything, so be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Be careful what you chose because you just might get it. Not only might but will.

Some people are always looking for a way out or a short cut. Be careful, you who would do so because that “short cut” will actually give the ego all the power it needs to offer you a way out alright – a way out of your salvation. Fortunately, there is Holy Spirit, ready to show us that the way is already given us. We are already “saved.” We have “salvation.” We have it now, anytime we are ready to become aware of it. What a beautiful gift. With the gifts of God, do we really need the “gifts” of the ego. These gifts of God are not going to be given us at some future date, they have already been given, as I said before. We don’t even have to reach out for them, all we have to do is remove the blocks we placed before our store house and receive them through our willingness.

How strange it is! It’s as if we had a friend begging us to take his gifts of love, peace, forgiveness and salvation, and we simply ignore him. Would you walk the road of love and peace on the way to salvation if you could have a helping hand, a helpmate? Would you walk the road to your home with Holy Spirit, even if the road appeared to be dark, if he shone a bright light to show you the way? A Course In Miracles is that bright light. The Course is that helping hand, that helpmate for which you’ve been asking. All we have to do is reach out and open that blue book and allow it to shine its brightness and illuminate the way for us.

How difficult is it for you to find your way home? How difficult is it for you to use the Course as your guiding light? It can only be as difficult as you will make it for yourself, that’s all. Do you want to turn on the light that will guide you or do you prefer your life of negativity? Stop resisting the teaching of the Course. It’s time to stop playing “poor victim” and cut out all the garbage of claiming to not understand what the Course is teaching. It’s time to stop proclaiming yourself to be such a wonderful person and start letting your actions prove it to be so.

If you would like to start, start now. Stop with the “lip service” and start now by doing it, by putting the principles of the Course into action, right now, this Holy Instant. You all know the effect of love in your life, think it over. mir the effect of love in your life. Open up, go do something nice for someone, right now. Go extend your love to someone, right now. I promise, it won’t kill you. Stop the hatred within before you manifest even more. Go into the world you have manifested right now and extend love. As the song says, “mir, love, laugh and be happy.”

Oh yes, and study your A Course In Miracles principles, now. Hey, nice talking to you. I extend you my love. Y