Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Forgiveness is necessary on the path of the spirit.

The Universalists got it right. God loves us unconditionally. The Universalists preached this message to the world and it has been drowned out. It is rarely heard any more. It has been drowned out by the idolization of the individual, and the meme of personal responsibility. In our materialistic, capitalistic society, there is no room for mercy, for compassion, for forgiveness because it is bad for business. We justify our greed, our exclusionary practices, our subjugation and oppression as "just doing business." The Universalist message is drowned out in cacophony of our "me too," and "me only" culture.

As a society we operate on the basis or "me," "mine," and "ours." We want to make America great again, an America build economically on genocide and slavery. Genocide and slavery are our roots, the deepest and sturdiest roots of the tree of American democracy, and we act surprised when a Trump gets elected and forget that his vision of America and his values have millions of supporters many of whom control vast resources of wealth.

Rev. Dr. William Barber, II, has observed that America is in a moral crisis. The moral dysfunction runs very deep in our history and in our souls. We either choose to forgive or continue to condemn erroneously justifying our condemnation as God's will and intention. The Universalist message has been dwindling and what will help our nation rectify the sinful path it is on is the recognition and acknowledgement of the Universalist insight. That recognition and acknowledgement begins with the naming of our errors and forgiving ourselves and others and sharing the grace of God's Unconditional Love.

It is written in A Course In Miracles, "Forgiveness is the world's equivalent of Heaven's justice." T-26.IV.1:1

That's an awesome idea. If God is Unconditional Love, forgiveness shouldn't even be necessary for what would there be to forgive? What difference would sin make on such a path?

If God is Unconditional Love there would be no judgment, no punishment, no hell. Judgment, punishment, and hell is the creation of the path of the ego. We humans, in separating ourselves from God's Oneness, have created our own hell. The ego loves the hell we have created because it involves drama which keeps us from being aware of the choice we could make to leave the path of the ego and embark on the path of the spirit.

If Heaven, the At-one-ment, Salvation is when everybody loves everybody all the time because this loving everyone all the time is an extension of God's Unconditional Love, then forgiveness of our own and our brother's egotistical beliefs, intentions, and behaviors is the correction required by the path of the spirit to move humanity closer to God's intentions for us on earth as it is in heaven.

UUs need to proselytize. We need to act as missionaries in our own country and around the world teaching and spreading our good news. In many places it will not be welcome. Jesus told His disciples not to waste their time in such places but to move on to places where the good news would be more welcome or at least listened to.

Standing on the side of love requires more than just standing. Solidarity can be a wonderful thing. Just standing though will get you no where. We must move - move out in greater and greater circles of love. We must teach, minister, share, nurture, uplift the idea that everyone is loved, not just loved, but loved unconditionally. That is their birthright, and when they are not loved something has gone wrong, terribly wrong. Recognizing this fact and acting on it is Heaven's justice.

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