The Law of Love

ACIM Workbook Lesson 277 – for Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Affirmation:  “Let me not bind Your Son with laws I made.”

“Your Son is free, my Father.  Let me not imagine I have bound him with the laws I made to rule the body.  He is not subject to any laws I made by which I try to make the body more secure.  He is not changed by what is changeable.  He is not slave to any laws of time.  He is as You created him, because he knows no law except the law of love.  (WB435)”

Reflections:

1 – Are Pills OK?

We often do things for our bodies that are meant to make them more secure, safer.  This is all unnecessary.  We need be careful for nothing.  Yet even Jesus recognized our frailty when he counseled the use of pills to help us, because if we do not use them, we will be even more in a fear-weakened state (Text tenets).  Though pills are a form of magical solution, they are not banned by Jesus.  The Course is always practical (an ACIM tenet).

2 – Travel More Lightly

But if we would know freedom, we must travel more lightly.  There is a well-known poem that beings, “When I am old, I will wear purple,” and it celebrates the freedom of the older individual who is not so bound by the conventions of this world, the ways that we have developed to protect our human condition.  This older woman would travel more lightly if she were going through the world again.  I speculate that Jesus, who did not even have a place to lay his head at night, would counsel us also to travel more lightly.  We do not need elaborate locks to protect us (a paraphrase from the Text).  Why are we so defensive?  ACIM says that defense creates what it would protect from (a paraphrase).  We do not need defense, nor do we need to be defensive by retaliating when attacked by a brother or sister.  We need to walk God’s way, sure in the knowledge that He walks with us.  And His defense of us is all that we need.

3 – How Can I See Turmoil Go Away?

If we live the law of love, much of this turmoil in which we find ourselves will dissipate.  We make much of the trouble that we encounter.  As has often been said, we are our own worse enemies.  May we turn aside from such manner of living immediately.  Let us live the ACIM way, the way of love and forgiveness.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I would travel more lightly today.  If I think I need a pill for some reason, I will stop and ask if this is really necessary.  The Holy Spirit will answer, knowing that sometimes a magical solution will diminish fear.

I would walk this world lightly, knowing that it is not my real home.  I will recognize others who believe as I do, but I will not let the ego intrude on this mystery of soul recognition.  I am not better than anyone else; we are all equals, all destined to find our way home.  May I be drawn today to those who could benefit from my company.

I would leave turmoil behind today.  Conflict is always of the ego, because God’s peace is always quiet.  May I live as stress-free a day as is possible under my circumstances, and may I not forget to thank You for the benefits of stress-free living.  Be with me if today does bring stress that I cannot ignore.

Amen.