For the Love of God

"In the Kingdom, there is great appreciation for everything that God created, because of the calm knowledge that each one is part of Him. God's Son knows no idols, but he does know his Father. Health in this world is the counterpart of value in Heaven. It is not my merit that I contribute to you, but my love, for you do not value your Self. When you do not value your Self you become sick, but my value of you can heal you, because the value of God's Son is One." -- A Course in Miracles

"Heaven is not a place nor a condition. It is merely an Awareness of perfect Oneness, and the Knowledge that there is nothing else; nothing outside this Oneness, and nothing else within." -- A Course in Miracles

"For the Love of God, no longer seek for union in separation, nor for freedom in bondage!" -- A Course in Miracles

This is a blog on special relationships, at the request of a dear friend and sister. In this world, it's hard to tell the forest for the trees. But ACIM tells us that, "Love is not an illusion. It is a fact. Where disillusionment is possible, there was not love but hate. It is sure that those who select certain ones as partners in any aspect of living, and use them for any purpose which they would not share with others, are trying to live with guilt rather than die of it."

Woh, that's harsh. It is said that when Jeshua ben Joseph told his disciples such things, most of them left... all that remained were the twelve. And when he asked them, "Will you too go away?" they replied, "Where would we go? You have the Word of Life." This is what ACIM means in the exclamatory statement, "For the Love of God, no longer seek for union in separation, nor for freedom in bondage!" The Truth is not OUT there. Where else would we go, indeed? A special relationship with a person, a place, an animal, a house, a car, or any imaginary form will only delay Awakening to this Truth.

Obviously, in this world and in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Awareness of Perfect Oneness, we know ourselves through relationships. The thing is, in Reality those relationships take place WITHIN our One Self, like currents within the Ocean of Self, and every relationship has equal meaning and equal Love and is a part of Our Completeness. In illusions, all relationships are about form and bodies and are special... this one gives me what I want, and keeps me safe within the fear and suffering that seem to be out there in the world. This 'love' is special. And this can never be. For what is special is seen as separate and different from the One... and how could anything be separate or autonomous when God is All?

Even in this world we can know our Real Relationships. As we forgive our illusions and give them day by day to the Holy Spirit to be healed, we find the miracle, that even our relationships with our most feared illusions have been transformed. There is no truth to any of the stories of specialness we have been told, and that we have cherished as the truth. No special bodies or forms, no special stories or abilities, no special fear or hate, and certainly no special love or attachment. It's so much better. Endless, ever-new Love and Joy and Bliss, with the Peace of Contentment holding All within Its Embrace. For the Love of God, let's forgive and remember.

"Every illusion is one of fear, whatever form it takes. And the attempt to escape from one illusion into another must fail. If you seek love outside yourself you can be certain that you perceive hatred within, and are afraid of it. And peace will never come from the illusion of love, but only from its Reality. Recognize this, for it is true, and Truth must be recognized if it is to be distinguished from illusion: The special love relationship is an attempt to bring love into separation. The special love relationship is but a shabby substitute for what makes you Whole in Truth, not in illusion. There is no veil the Love of God in us together cannot lift. The Way to Truth is open. Follow it with me." -- A Course in Miracles