We Are Equal in God’s Sight as His Children

Now you must forget the idea of needing to maintain specialness. A key aid in helping you to put this temptation behind you is the idea of the holy relationship in which all exist in unity and within the protection of love’s embrace. (ACOL, T3:16.15)

Let us realize that being special, even to ourselves, never gave us anything that we wanted. A few others may have found us special also, but most everyone else resented the competitiveness that thought that we were superior to them. This competitiveness has to go. We are reassured on a daily basis when we cooperate with others, when we recognize that others, and we, are on the same wavelength, that we are equal in the sight of God as His children.

I used to be quite competitive. I remember telling a friend at work, after lunch one day that we had enjoyed together, what my goals were in work. They were ambitious. She responded, “Don’t get too far ahead of us,” meaning the others in the reference unit.

She was right, because she sensed that my ambition would be a divisive factor in our close-knit working group. And I never did fit in well with that particular group. I had to go on to another before I found acceptance and peace in my working environment. And get more steeped in A Course in Miracles.

When we recognize that all of us are held in an embrace of love and unity, as One, we are recognizing what is true. And this truth will save us. Our relationships, holy now, will give us solace and keep us safe. Competitive no longer, we join in a camaraderie borne of cooperation. We are finally living right, and our comrades in work (and elsewhere) recognize this change in us. We are one of them, in every sense of the word. When we acknowledge equality, we are accepted and even loved.
This does not take away from the fact that we may have experienced Christ-consciousness, and not all others in our circle will have done so. This only means that we have walked a little farther along, not that we are better than another.

It is necessary that we share what we have discovered as soon as our brothers and sisters express interest in knowing what makes us different. Holy relationship invites sharing.

And we feel better for easing another’s way, even ever so slightly.

Specialness Defeats Us / Choose Equality

“How many rest within this sphere of influence? Twenty, fifty, one hundred? And how many times is this multiplied by each of them? And yet this is but a fraction of who your specialness influences. In truth, your specialness affects everyone. “ (ACOL, C:15.6)

This quotation doesn’t say so, but we all know that specialness is not something to be supported. Our belief in specialness apparently reaches out to include everyone, ultimately. This is because we influence each other, and when one of us finds a home in specialness, we are leading others to look to their egos as well.

How can we resolve this dilemma? First and foremost, drop egotistical ideas from the mind. The heart will lead rightly in this endeavor, if we listen to it. Second, know (intellectually also) that specialness is not the way reality really is. Reality created all of us as equals to each other. Our heart will lead rightly about this as well. Third, as soon as the ego or the idea of specialness enters the mind, resolve to abort the experience. This is not as hard as it sounds, though we may fail in the beginning.

Gently turn aside from the ego and its specialness. Know that we have never been made happy by feelings of specialness: We knew moments of artificial joy, but these were followed by times of deep despair. And we can expect this dynamic to continue, if we do not reject specialness once and for all.

The way back is made easier, as always, when we listen to our heart. The heart knows that we wouldn’t be other than we are, that regardless of what another has that we think we want, this is a mirage. We are created to be one with all, one with God, with others, one with our Self. And specialness intrudes on this divine plan.

Chip away at the desire for specialness a little at a time. Soon the idea will seem very foreign to us indeed.

And we will emerge from the darkness into the light.

Better Not to Feel Inferior Nor Superior

“You cannot have feelings of superiority and not an enemy make. The same occurs when you would make yourself inferior, and you are always making for yourself a place at one of these extremes. And all this effort and conflict arises simply from your insistence upon being separate.” (ACOL, C:14.3)

Most of us have been caught in the trap of feeling inferior or superior to others, and we suffered as a result. Our feelings of inferiority gave us many moments of sadness and dejection. Our feelings of superiority were often compensation for the inferior feelings—when our ego had had enough of feeling dejected.

Was there any truth to any of this? Absolutely none. We are neither inferior nor superior to any other human being. All of us are, truly, created equal.

It is a particular desire on the part of those on the spiritual path to feel better than others who aren’t on the path. But this is nothing less than self-righteousness, surely the least lovable of traits. This is an edge into the superiority to which the ego turns when tired of being dejected with a sense of inferiority.

Be rid of such foolishness. All gifts, ultimately, are shared equally by the children of God. If one now, temporarily, has more, remember that this is only a temporary state. The same for having less. Talents will even out in the long run.

And we make enemies of other people. Nobody even likes someone else who harbors feelings of superiority, especially. And another may also look down on one who feels himself/herself to be inferior in some way.

This is a game we can’t win. One we ought to give up forthwith. The way to the spirit of love is the truth that all are equal in the eyes of God. Only time separates us in any way, and time is an illusion.

The best way to live is to assume equality. This is a truth in our society as well as in spiritual matters.