If guilt is taking our judgment (specialness) seriously, then undoing our guilt (forgiveness) is not taking our judgment so seriously.
From ACIM T.27.VIII.6:2-3
Into eternity (Love, Heaven, Everything), where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea (attack, separation, specialness), at which the Son of God (all of us as one) remembered not to laugh . In his forgetting did the thought become a serious idea, and possible of both accomplishment and real effects. (Parentheses mine)
This clearly isn’t a derisive or divisive laugh. This is the gentle laugh, the compassionate smile, which accompanies changed purpose.
One of my favorite teachers was recently speaking to me about a specific problem with another person in his life. Like many of us who have considered such things, he was fairly quick to withdraw the projection of guilt from the other individual, but still identifying with part of the projection (his body), he became the object of his ire.
He said that now he just felt stupid – stupid for projecting. Yes, forgiveness recognizes that the guilt I see out there is a projection, so withdrawing it is useful. But don’t stop there. We can’t be here and not project guilt – either on somebody else or on ourselves. That’s what here is. The process of forgiveness then helps us recognize (undo) the purpose of here. Instead of justifying the guilt, forgiveness looks upon guilt with the gentle chuckle of recognition that it isn’t what it appears to be. Perhaps, for my friend, forgiveness was the journey from stupid to silly…and silly brought a smile.
“Stupid” reflects the wall of granite that we’ve interposed between ourselves and our Truth. It says the guilt is real and most importantly, justified. “Silly” changes the wall to a thin wispy veil, a veil so fragile that the tiniest breath surrenders it. Instead of beating ourselves up (taking the guilt seriously), we recognize that it was simply a silly mistake to think that everything could have an opposite and even sillier to think that nothing could have an effect.
Forgiveness is remembering – remembering that the decision for guilt is the problem and that a gentle smile of undoing is the solution.
So, remember to laugh from time to time today. Even if you don’t disappear into the heart of Love, you will feel better.
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D ~ I LOVE this.
ReplyDeleteI have been working on accepting myself and my feelings. I tend to beat myself up the hardest, as you are well aware. I was remembering you saying, "look at your judgment without judgment"... and so, I allowed myself to feel what I felt, I pulled it all out of me and admitted things that I was thinking or feeling that I was ashamed about, I cried hard tears at these revelations... and then I let them go.
I'm feeling a little lighter today. It might take a bit more purging before I realize that it (nothing) had no effect but I'm getting there.
Thank you for being my teacher. :)
You did a great job with this! Yes, we all must remember to laugh and therefore forgive. Thank-you.
ReplyDeleteIt's like when you watch your kids trying to get away with something they shouldn't be doing or something that is obviously way over their heads, you just have to shake your head and laugh. It's a love laugh and you remember it later only in the most fond memory. You love them more. I guess this is how we ought to love ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's a "love laugh", Emmi. Thanks for the thought.
ReplyDelete