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Manual for Teachers, Honesty, P 1. 2-13-20

II. Honesty
1 All other traits of God’s teachers rest on trust. Once that has been achieved, the others cannot fail to follow. Only the trusting can afford honesty, for only they can see its value. Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another. Such are the truly honest. At no level are they in conflict with themselves. Therefore it is impossible for them to be in conflict with anyone or anything. 
As I read this paragraph I thought of examples of how I am honest, and I thought of ways in which I have not yet achieved honesty.

There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do…

Here is an example of when my words and actions were not in accord. I was shopping one night to the background of a baby screaming his head off. I had thoughts about the mom needing to give it up and take that miserably unhappy child home.

Now that may have been true, but the meaning behind that thought was a judgment. I was really thinking that a “good” mother would take her child home. I didn’t say those words even in my head because I’m a good Course student and I know that she is innocent, but I obviously don’t believe it.

There was an inconsistency between my thoughts. I didn’t actually say any of these words out loud, but I said them to myself and I saw the inconsistency. I am not so interested in asking the Holy Spirit to heal my words, but rather I am asking that the belief from which the words came be healed.

I obviously did not see this woman as innocent. I saw her as guilty compared with someone who is innocent and so I am teaching myself separation. I felt annoyed with her because she reminded me of myself when I was in her position, shopping with a young child. I did not live up to my own expectations and felt guilty for it and I was projecting this old guilt onto her. I don’t want to teach guilt and so learn it, and yet, that is what I was doing. Inconsistency.

My lack of peace while shopping was not caused by a baby crying, but rather from my thoughts about the baby crying. My thoughts were inconsistent, my beliefs were inconsistent, and so I was conflicted. I was at war in my mind, and that was the cause of my unease.

I could allow this recognition to upset and discourage me, and at one time that is exactly what would happen and the war in my mind would escalate. That night’s incidence was different than it once would be, though. I was aware that I was not yet honest. I was happy to see the opportunities to look at the thoughts that point to inconsistent beliefs.

I am willing that all my beliefs be consistent with the truth, and so when I notice a thought that is not true, I am glad to have found it so that I can accept healing on behalf of us all. That, at least, is an honest statement.

© 2020, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Manual for Teachers, Development of Trust, P 8. 2-5-20

A. Development of Trust, P 8
8 And finally, there is “a period of achievement.” It is here that learning is consolidated. Now what was seen as merely shadows before become solid gains, to be counted on in all “emergencies” as well as tranquil times. Indeed, the tranquility is their result; the outcome of honest learning, consistency of thought and full transfer. This is the stage of real peace, for here is Heaven’s state fully reflected. From here, the way to Heaven is open and easy. In fact, it is here. Who would “go” anywhere, if peace of mind is already complete? And who would seek to change tranquility for something more desirable? What could be more desirable than this?

For a long time, I had periods of undisturbed peace and I had times when joy simply welled up in me, joy that is not attached to anything, that simply was. For a very long time, the peace and the joy didn’t last. I would suddenly feel anxious or sad or guilty. There seemed always to be a reason for this, something that happened in my life that pulled me out of this happy state.

Of course, this could not be the case. I don’t actually react to what happens in my life. What happens in my life is a direct result of what happens in my mind. I then create the fiction that I don’t know why life picks on me, and I am just the innocent victim of circumstances. But I knew better, even as I lied to myself there was a place in me that knew better. I alone am responsible for everything in my life, so it must be that I kicked myself out of paradise. Again.

I’ve been teaching from The Obstacles to Peace, specifically, The Fear of God, and this week we were on The Lifting of the Veil. We stand before the veil that seems to hide from us the face of Christ, and yet we do not move it aside. We stand trembling in terror at the fear of God. And yet, this is what we have come for, to move the veil aside and remember God.

What remains undone? How do we overcome the fear of God? This is what the Course tells us.
Before complete forgiveness you still stand unforgiving. You are afraid of God because you fear your brother. Those you do not forgive you fear. And no one reaches love with fear beside him.

And so, I saw that my learning was not complete, my beliefs were not consistent if I still looked on my brother from time to time and saw him as the enemy. I realized that I would not awaken while I look at him with the body’s eyes and believed what they told me, completely forgetting that they only report back to me what I want to see.

I had to accept that I and I alone am responsible for everything in my life and I had to forgive all grievances if I were ever to awaken. I did this. I forgave the idea that there was anything to forgive. I forgave the idea that guilt is real. My final forgiveness was to release the guilt I held against myself and I did that with the help of Jesus. When that was done, when that miracle occurred, everything changed.

I awoke to the realization that this is not my life and I am not this character. Sure, I had been learning and teaching this for years and I believed it, but believing something is true is not the same as knowing it is true. The ego mind is like a clingy ex-boyfriend and tries to re-establish our relationship any time I give it a chance, so I have to remain vigilant for its insane thoughts. It’s not hard to reject them anymore because I’m not fooled by them and not interested. This state of being while in the world is worth everything it took to get here.

© 2020, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Chapter 16: The Forgiveness of Illusions, I. True Empathy, P 5. 2-5-20

I. True Empathy P 5
T-16.I.5. The triumph of weakness is not what you would offer to a brother. 2 And yet you recognize no triumph but this. 3 This is not knowledge, and the form of empathy which would bring this about is so distorted that it would imprison what it would release. 4 The unredeemed cannot redeem, yet they have a Redeemer. 5 Attempt to teach Him not. 6 You are the learner; He the Teacher. 7 Do not confuse your role with His, for this will never bring peace to anyone. 8 Offer your empathy to Him for it is His perception and His strength that you would share. 9 And let Him offer you His strength and His perception, to be shared through you.

Journal
Sympathy, constructed from the Greek “sym,” meaning together, and “pathos,” referring to feelings or emotion, is used to describe when one person shares the same feelings of another, such as when someone close is experiencing grief or loss. Empathy is a newer word also related to “pathos,” but there is a greater implication of emotional distance. With “empathy” you can imagine or understand to how someone might feel, without necessarily having those feelings yourself.

I seldom feel sympathy because I don’t believe in the world and because I know that the feelings that are triggered by the story we are reviewing are for the purpose of healing. I tend to feel happy for the person who now has a chance to be healed of some painful belief knowing that this is what it is for and that it is always possible to accomplish healing.

On the other hand, I do feel empathy in that I know how resistant we can be when faced with these deeply rooted beliefs and how painful it is when we resist. The problem is that the waters can be muddied in certain circumstances, especially if I, too, have the same belief, or if I had it for a long time and the healing is still new. The mind can slip back into old thinking if triggered. Then there is conflict in my mind. Part of my mind wants to feel bad and part knows this is not helpful.

This paragraph helps to deal with this kind of reaction. In fact, it can prevent the confusion altogether. Now when I notice I feel empathy, I am going to give it to the Holy Spirit straight away. I will let Him teach me how to perceive it and I will rely on His strength when I share. Now I never have to worry about what to say or do in any situation because I will be told. I will never add to someone’s confusion with my own. I will never weaken when I could strengthen. This is such a relief knowing I am not on my own; I always have Help.

© 2020, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

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