Relationships Have Present Moment Meaning

“In keeping with your new self-centered focus on what life has had to teach you, you have also seen your relationships as teachers. It is here that you can begin to learn to let go of learning because it is here that learning has been least practiced through the means of studying.

“Relationship happens in the present moment. Studying takes up resi¬dence within the student; there to be mulled over, committed to memory, integrated into new behaviors. Relationship recognizes that love is the greatest teacher. Studying places the power of the teacher in a place other than that of love. Relationship happens as it happens. Studying is about future outcome. What happens in relationship has present moment meaning. What is studied has potential meaning.” (ACOL, T4:10.4 – 10.5)

In trying to get us to see that learning is over for us, Jesus focuses on our relationships, explaining that we have not normally “studied” our relationships; they have just happened as they have happened.

Perhaps it would be useful to return to A Course in Miracles a moment. Our relationship to our brother was seen as the greatest single aspect of what would lead us home. When we forgave our brother, we were touching heaven’s gate. Our special relationships, transformed into holy relationships, were seen as the fastest route to Awakening (called Christ-consciousness in A Course of Love).

Now we are seeing that focusing on our relationships will help us to see why learning is no longer recommended by Jesus. He thinks that we have gotten all we can from the learned wisdom of the past. He focuses now on what revelation from God can give us, revelation that makes its way from the Christ-Self, who is located deep within us and is a part of God. This Christ-Self is our new Self, our new source of guidance. For the first time in eons, we are letting this identity of ours come out to play.

We will learn from the Christ-Self and its relationships what Love is all about. And God, as we know, is Love. We don’t need to seek anymore, though seeking is a habit that at first is hard to drop. But seeking is so unnecessary, for with the Christ-Self and its guidance we have found. Just as in ACIM, now in reading ACOL we will first turn to our relationships to understand that additional learning is not necessary, and is even undesirable.

Turn to the Self within. Let it teach what it can. Let God’s living through us come through loud and clear. And let our relationships with our significant others lead the way.

Prayer

I enjoy feeling comfortable with my most significant others. I love the feeling of warmth that this love gives me. And it leads me to God’s Love, for it has always been through my relationships of love that I have developed a closer walk with God. Now is no different from times past. Now everything is coming together.

Help me to walk in a comfortable fashion today. This embraces Love—God—as well as God’s peace that passeth understanding. The day looks bright, even though there is rain outside. Everyday spent with God is bright.

Amen.