Everyman's Journal 2011

Everyman's Journal 2011, #74

November 22

My only function is forgiveness. (from the ACIM Lessons)

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In my inner life, the theme of forgiveness surrounds me these days, forming an egoic challenge similar to that of salmon attempting to swim upstream past a waterfall… not a small simple one jump easy waterfall, but a gushing torrent powerful seemingly impossible large and mighty waterfall… the kind that separates the truly totally committed who are willing to risk everything to succeed from the less than totally committed.

As an accomplishment, forgiving 'the hardcore impossible to forgive' is among our souls greatest triumphs. Each time it is done, it is the triumph of the purified heart transcending our habituated mind and emotions. I can see this clearly right now, for within me many emotions are surfacing from past suppressions to be healed. They all are made of memories of being deeply and personally wounded, or of the outrage I have felt at the unacceptable injustices of the world. As my spiritual growth curriculum is now presenting me with the truth of 'there are no accidents' (whose 'radical forgiveness' corollary is: 'since there are no accidents, there is actually nothing to forgive')… of course all unhealedness must be addressed, for anything unforgiven remains as a stop, a barrier, to continued purification.

In this milieu of accelerated growth opportunities we call 'present day life', it seems that (at least for me) nearly everything relates to this purification/forgiveness process. Last night I watched a movie named 'Joan of Arc', and uncovered that the pain of being burned at the stake was not forgiven yet, even after 500 years. At a recent social event we watched a movie called 'Thrive' which reviewed with undeniable accuracy the activities and suffering-creating impact of certain beings who place their love of great wealth and power above all else. Again, the unacceptableness of the injustices left me deeply aware of my own incomplete unhealedness.

Yet my knowing knows that the only answer is Love. And that to truly love I must also love my enemies (or as Echart Tolle has said, "What Jesus really meant when he said 'Love your enemies' is 'Have no enemies') . It is a tall and seemingly impossible order when my unhealedness is screaming for justice (which frankly means in 'an eye for an eye' fashion that I want them to suffer exactly as I believe I have). So like the salmon called to its upstream destiny, I do battle internally, in my heart, for the will and the courage to give up my anger, my hates, my opinions, my beliefs… 'my' anything and everything that is in the way of my commitment to my selflessness (understanding that only in selflessness can the world actually be forgiven).

I can see that this selflessness is both 'the great way' and 'the only way'. And that in its summation, life in incarnation comes down to the simple question of whether we are willing, at all times, to first, remember what is true, and then live it.

It is not at all so hard to have peak experiences and from them, see the truth… our Oneness. As millions of people are having these openings, that is relatively common among us these days. What is less common is the transformation of the ego into selfless being, for that usually involves rigorous and committed personal work… the work of searching out our personal cobwebs, of cleaning out our own inner house of it's closets of angers and hates and fears. That work is our real and true purpose here, and it is done by living from this moment to this moment without ever denying the perfection of the Oneness.

I admit that at times it is difficult to remember this, especially when the heart gets swallowed by feelings of personal pain. Yet I am here to suggest (essentially to myself, which of course, you are a part of) that such moments are God's gift to us also, for it is only in facing our unhealedness that we can remember the truth of our Oneness... and then practice the way to reenter the wholeness… by being finally willing to forgive 'the impossible to forgive'.

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

david@davidseacord.com

www.davidseacord.com

(my fine art website)

www.davidseacord-everymansjournal.blogspot.com

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

www.davidseacord-acimcommentaries.blogspot.com

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

www.everymansjournal2011.blogspot.com

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)