Today's lesson, number 86, "Only God's plan for salvation will work," and "Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation."

Today's lesson is number 86 from A Course In Miracles and is a review of lessons 71 and 72 which are: "Only God's plan for salvation will work," and "Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation."

What is God's plan for salvation? God's plan for salvation is the Atonement which means in A Course In Miralces the giving up of the path of ego composed of illusions and idols and entering on to the path of the Spirit which is Unconditional Love. The Universalists have been preaching about the understanding of God being Unconditional Love since the 1700s in the United States.

Our affirmation of faith begins with the words, "Love is the doctrine of this church." Francis David the Unitarian pioneer in the 16th century said that "We need not think alike to love alike." Francis David recognized five centuries ago that God's plan for salvation did not lie in doctrines, creeds, and written texts, but rather in how we extend the divine spark in each of us to each other.

In our modern times, Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person and this principle is based on the Universalist faith in God's unconditional love for us.

Recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the pervasiveness of God's Unconditional Love we come to understand that holding grievances and judgments is an attack on God's plan for salvation.

Today, I will remind myself several times throughout the day that giving up my grievances and resentments is the only way for me to experience the love which is the foundation of our church.

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Today's lesson, number 85, "My grievances hide the light of the world in me," and "My salvation comes from me."

Today's lesson is number 85 in A Course In Miracles which is a review lesson of lessons 69 and 70 which are: "My grievances hide the light of the world in me," and "My salvation comes from me."

Conditional love which is the dynamic of special relationships is based on "give to get," and "one or the other." Conditional love always leads to guilt, anger, resentment, attack, grievance and fear.

Unconditional love, however, sets the dynamics of the ego in special relationships aside and chooses to love just because the experience of Unconditional love is joyful and brings peace.

Unitarian Univeralists, of course, already know this because the Universalists have been teaching about the Unconditional Love, which is God, since the late 1700s in the United States. Today the UUs have a covenant, based on seven principles, which promotes, affirms, and extends this Unconditional Love to each other and around the world.

Today, I will set the illusions and idols aside that I find on the path of the ego. I will not give in to the temptation to see these illusions and idols as the source of my salvation. Instead I will look within and see the Divine Spark which is the source of my inherent worth and dignity and everyone else's. I will acknowledge this inherent worth and dignity and rejoice in it for this is the source of my salvation which is to be experienced within me and in its extension to everyone I meet today.

Today's lesson, number 84, "Love created me like itself," and "Love holds no grievances."

Today's lesson, number 84 in A Course In Miracles, is a review of lessons 67 and 68 which are: "Love created me like itself," and "Love holds no grievances."

We are a part of God, a drop in the ocean, here to extend Love to the rest of God's creation. If I am to do this on the path of the Spirit instead of the path of the ego, I must give up my grievances for Unconditional Love has no grievances.

Unitarian Univeralists promise to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, a principle which is very contrary to the ego which sees differences and makes judgments every where it looks.

If I am to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, I must start with myself because as the lesson today says, "Love created me like itself." I am a part of God. I am God's Love in the world, the incarnation of that love.

If I am to love unconditionally as the Universalists have taught and believe then I promote and affirm universal salvation and hold no grievances toward anyone or anything.

Wow! Would that I could.

Today I will try to remember that I am a child of God and that God being Unconditional Love, I hold no grievances.

As Unitarian Universalists like to say, "Blessed be." We are already blessed but we have forgotten. The ego has cast a veil over our awareness. The saying therefore might be better said, "Blessed by my awareness of my holiness." That is, "Blessed by my awareness of my inherent worth and dignity and everybody else's."

Today's lesson, review lesson number 83, My only function is the one God gave me, and My happiness and my function are one.

Today's lesson, number 83 in A Course In Miracles, is a review lesson of lessons 65 and 66 which are: "My only function is the one God gave me," and "My happiness and my function are one."

Our function is forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the realization that the things on the path of the ego are a part of the dream world and only the nondualistic Oneness is real. In other words we have come to realize that the things of the ego world are all bull shit.

At the time of our separation from the Oneness of God, God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us back home. It is the acceptance of the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the rejection of the illusions and idols of the ego that is our function for ourselves and our fellow beings.

We are all a part of the Sonship. This is our Universalist faith taught in the USA since the late 1700s. We, Universalists, have called this "universal salvation." Accepting this understanding and extending it into the world is our function.

The second lesson, "My happiness and my function are one" reminds us that in accepting this faith in universal salvation and extending it into the world is where our happiness lies.

Salvation is achieved when everybody loves everybody all the time. This is the basis of our covenant to affirm and promote our seven principles. Engaging in this covenant which is, at a deep level, another way of defining what ACIM calls "forgiveness" is the source of great happiness and our bliss.

Today, it would do us well to remind ourselves what our function is. We will have tens, if not hundreds, of opportunities to practice this forgiveness. Everytime we find ourselves annoyed, angry, resentful, vengeful, afraid we can choose the path of the ego or the path of the Holy Spirit. We can reflect on what our function is and what will make us truly happy. If we stumble and make a mistake and give in to anger, grievance, anxiety, we can, of course, always choose again.

Unitarian Univeralism is a religion of second chances as we practice our third principle which is the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today's lesson, number 82, The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness," and "Let me not forget my function."

Today's lesson, number 82 in A Course In Miracles, is a review of two earlier lessons: number 63, "The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness," and number 64, "Let me not forget my function."

Put together we can say "Let me not forget my function of bringing light to the world through my forgiveness."

Unitarian Univeralists remember their function to bring light to the world through their covenant to affirm and promote their seven principles which, taken together, amounts to forgiveness of the world of the ego.

UUs in upholding their covenant affirming and promoting their seven principles have chosen to walk the path of the Holy Spirit instead of the path of the ego. UUs in this way of life have chosen a better path to walk bringing light to a dark world. Walking this path of the Holy Spirit helps UUs become aware of their holiness and sanctify the world.

Today, be aware of and take advantage of forgiveness opportunities, and stay forcused on your function in this world.

Today's lesson, 81, "I am the light of the world," and "Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

Today's lesson, number 81 in A Course In Miracles, is a review of lessons 61 and 62 which are "I am the light of the world," and "Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

Do you remember that you are the light of the world being an incarnation of the Divine Spark? Most of us don't. We are encapsulated in darkness and only very occasionally see the sliver of light. Sometimes the darkness is so overwhelming that people kill themselves and others. These incidents sometimes make the news and leads to exclamations of horror, grief and outrage.

Our first reaction, often, to such catastrophic self inflicted trauma, is to blame God. How could God allow this to happen? We blame God for things not of God to absolve our own sense of guilt and responsibility. The denial of guilt becomes a bigger problem than the precipitating trauma. We as a people have lost our way because we have forgotten who we are.

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. UUs remember and know that they, we, all of us, are the light of the world if we can see past the darkness.

This seeing past the darkness requires forgiveness which the Course tells us is our function. The path of the ego provides us with a multitude of forgiveness opportunities every day. Unitarian Univeralists are not big on forgiveness but they are big on compasion and acceptance which is almost the same thing. UUs call it "Standing on the side of Love." UUs pray together, "Love is the doctrine of our church." Francis David, the Unitarian pioneer in the 16th century, said, "We need not think alike to love alike." It is this loving alike which the Course calls forgiveness. The opposite of loving alike is resentment, grievance, and attack.

UUs bring their compassion, and acceptance, and loving alike to the world as an important part of their function in extending their living tradition.

Today, we will remember and reflect on the ideas that we are the light of the world, and it is our function to bring acceptance, compassion, and loving alike to all the people of the world.

Today's lesson, number 74, There is no will but God's.

Today's lesson, number 74 in A Course In Miracles, is "There is no will but God's."

Christians, who pray as Jesus suggested, say, "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Great peace is experienced when we bring our will into alignment with what we believe is God's will. St. Paul said, "If God is with you, who can be against you?"

What are the things that interfere with our recognition, acknowledgement, acceptance, and following of God's will? Basically, it is our decision to pursue the illusions and idols on the path of the ego thinking that these illusions and idols will make us happy and be the source of our salvation. Most of us learn the hard way. We are working toward on our Ph.D. from the University of Hard Knocks.

When we hit bottom, it dawns on us, as it says in the first of the twelve steps, "We came to realize that our lives are unmanageable" because of alcohol, because of drugs, because of sex, because of money, because of compulsive overeating, because of ________.

After this dawning, we enter a search for a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to sanity as it says in the second step. This search to restore our sanity brings us to the third step which is a decision to turn our will and life over to the care of God, Tao, the Universe, our Higher Power as we understand it.

Unitarian Universalists believe in their covenant to affirm and promote seven principles as the means to salvation and some UUs would say that engaging in this covenant to affirm and promote these seven principles is the manifestation of God's will for them.

Today, remind yourself several times that there is no will but God's and God's will is the experience of Unconditional Love for all of Creation.

UUs covenant to affirm and promote not only a respect for, but a love of, the interdependent web of all existence of which we and everyone else is a part. It is in this acknowledgement and acceptance that great peace arises.

Today's lesson, number 80, "Let me recognize my problems have been solved."

Today's lesson, number 80 in A Course In Miracles, is "Let me recognize my problems have been solved."

Problems take many forms but deep down, at the bottom of things, it all comes to one thing: we have separated ourselves from the nondualistic Oneness that we call Tao, or God.

The tiny mad idea that we could separate ourselves from God and become the author of our own life is ludicrous, insane, delusional.

When we step back, get things in perspective, and apprehend the vastness of the Universe, we understand that our individual self is a drop in the ocean and the breaking up of the Oneness of the Tao into myriad of forms is but an illusion, an optical illusion, for all those forms are but parts of the same thing, the Oneness of the Divine Force or as Unitarian Universalists call it the "interdependent web of all existence".

When we realize from whence we came, and to which we return, and in which is the ground of our present being, we realize that any problems I think I have is an illusion and drama.

As I give up my grievances and resentments and surrender to the flow of the Tao, the ying and the yang, the Higher Power, I realize that all problems are petty, trivial, and have been solved. As psychologist, Richard Carlson, advised, "Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff."

Today, I will set my grievances and resentments aside and, taking a deep breath, recognize that not only have my problems been solved, but they never really existed in the form as I mistakenly thought they did.

Today's lesson, number 79, Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.

Today's lesson, number 79 in A Course In Miracles is "Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved."

The old grandmother muttered, "There's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."

She seemed discouraged and depressed, but not defeated.

We watched, listened, and laughed. Not at her but at the truth of her observation. There is always something, so many problems to be solved. Drama, challenge, stress every where you turn.

At a deeper level we know intuitively, if not consciously, that "it all comes out in the wash." "It all boils down to one thing," and that one thing is our separatation from the nondualistic Oneness, the Tao, which some of us call "God." Luke Skywalker called it "The Force."

We Unitarian Universalists call it Love with a capital L.

Unitarian Univeralists state their affirmation of faith as:
"Love is the doctrine of this church,
The quest for Truth is its sacrament,
and service is its prayer."

Our myraid problems stem from our belief that our salvation lies in the illusions and idols which we have encountered and created on the path of the ego and yet, as life goes on and hopefully we don't just grow old but grow up, we come to realize that the things on the path of the ego will not make us happy and give us everlasting peace. Happiness, joy, and peace are to be found elsewhere and not in our ego world of illusion, idols, and drama.

Having finally identified the problem as barking up the wrong tree, looking for happiness in all the wrong places, we have an opportunity, having begun to recognize the problem, of solving it.

Seeking the solution takes us on the path affirmed and promoted in the fourth principle of Unitarian Universalism, the free and responsible search for Truth and meaning. Truth and meaning are not to be found it external things of the world, of the ego. Truth and meaning are to be found within as we apprehend our part in the wholeness, the energy of the Tao, the interdependent web of all existence of which we are all a part.

Today, when your anxiety goes up, set back and ask yourself, "What is the real problem here?"

Today's lesson - number 78, "Let miracles replace grievances

Today's lesson, number 78 in A Course In Miracles, is "Let miracles replace all grievances."

Grievances, resentments, recrimination, blame, revenge, attack run our lives from morning to night and even in our dreams as we sleep. If we are not blaming and attacking others we turn on ourselves with self criticism, self judgment, perfectionistic anxiety, and depression.

This world of hate, and self hate, is full of drama and games that people seem to not be able to help playing. If you lack for blame, guilt, and fear just turn to your news feeds. Bad news floods the minds of ourselves and our neighbors. The news constantly offers us suggestions of who to fear and hate at any moment of the day if we can't think of enough targets ourselves.

What would it take to change all this "stinking thinking?" It would be a miracle. What is a miracle? The miracle is a decision, a choice, to, as the Course tells us, "choose again."

At some point, it dawns on us that there is a better way. We don't have to live in hate, resentment, blame, attack, guilt, and fear. The Universalists have taught since the late 1700s in the U.S. that there is Unconditional Love in the Universe. The Universalists have taught that this Unconditional Love is our natural inheritance. The Universalists have taught that in order to become aware of our true nature we just need to set our grievances aside, undo them.

In our contemporary age in Unitarian Universalism, we have a living tradition which offers us the opportunity to covenant together to affirm and promote seven basic principles which are based on miracle thinking. The second principle asks us to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in our human relations. In other words, the second prinicple asks us to give up our grievances and work a miracle. This miracle occurs in our mind and hearts and has nothing to do with the supernatural manipulation of phenomena. The miracle changes our awareness to bring peace and joy and Uncondtional Love into the world.

Trading miracles for grievances not only helps people become aware of their holiness, it sanctifies the world and brings it closer to salavation which is when everybody loves everybody all the time.

Today, catch yourself when you become aware of annoyance, irritation, resentment, blame, vengefulness and simply ask yourself "What kind of an experience do I want, and what kind of a world do I want to create?" Then, let miracles replace grievances.

Today's lesson, number 77, "I am entitled to miracles."

Today's lesson, number 77 in A Course In Miracles, is "I am entitled to miracles."

What is a "miracle" as the term is used in A Course In Miracles? It is a healing that occurs when one's awareness shifts from the path of the ego, conditional love, to the love of God, Unconditional Love.

The miracle is similar to what A Course In Miracles calls the "holy instant." The holy instant and a miracle are the apprehension that we are One with Everything.

The opposite of the miracle is separation, the egotistical assertion of me, myself, and I. No person is an island. None of us is self contained. As our seventh principle in Unitarian Universalism affirms and promotes, we acknowledge and respect the interdependent web of all existence. It is in becoming aware of this interdependence, this Oneness that miracles occur.

It is written in the lesson, "You are entitled to miracles because of what you are. You will receive miracles because of what God is. And you will offer miracles because you are one with God. Again, how simple is salvation! It is merely a statement of your true Identity. It is this that we will celebrate today."

Today's lesson, #76, "I am under no laws but God's."

Today's lesson, number 76 in A Course In Miracles, is "I am under no laws but God's."

In the end, when it's all said and done, in the last analysis, when we get to the bottom of things, it all comes down to one thing: do we choose to walk the path of the ego or the path of God? Do we choose the world of conditional love or Unconditional Love?

The Universalists, in the late 1700s in the United States, chose Unconditional Love. They have not had much support because most of the people in the world have chosen the ego. Most people have looked to worldly things as the source of their salvation. They have not realized that at the deepest level they are under no laws but God's.

To admit that we are under no laws but God's takes surrender, a giving up of the ego, a giving up of the desire to make ourselves separate from the nondualistic Oneness of the Unconditional Love of God. It is this fear of the surrender of the ego which keeps us from Unconditional Love. It is written in the introduction to A Course In Miracles, "The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite."

As Unitarian Universalists we covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning, and this search takes us to the ultimate understanding that "I am under no laws but God's."

Most of us are not ready to end our resistance to Love. It is written in the introduction to A Course In Miracles, "This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time."

We are born into this thing we call life. We are here to learn what will benefit our growth and development so that we can increase our awareness of our holiness, of what we are. What we are is what is affirmed and promoted in the first principle of UU, a person of worth and dignity like everyone else.

Today, we will take several moments to remind ourselves that we choose the path of God, of Unconditional Love, and in this choice we end our resistance to the experience of the Unconditional Love of Creation. We recognize, acknowledge, accept, and extend the Universalist faith here and now throughout the world.

Today's lesson, 75, The light has come.

Today's lesson, number 75 in A Course In Miracles, is "The light has come."

As we undo the grievances, resentments, fear, and guilt we experience on the path of the ego through forgiveness and our joining with the nondualistic Oneness of Life, we experience the peace and joy of the light within.

The first principle of Unitarian Universalism asks us to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This requires that we recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate the Divine Spark in every person, even our enemies as Jesus told us we should do.

With forgiveness which leads us to an awareness of the light, we experience peace in ourselves and in our relationships with others. We come to a deep and abiding consciousness of the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Today, we can take several moments thoughtout the day to say with gratitude, "The light has come." The light dwells within me and I extend it throughout the world to everyone and everything I see and encounter. We ask the Holy Spirit to fascilitate this awareness and assist us in its extension.

Truth is my light.

Today's lesson - Let your little light shine along with the Tao of Creation.

Today's lesson is number 73 in A Course In Miracles which is "I will there be light."

The "light" being referred to comes from within not from without.

The "light" is the holiness that you have forgotten is the essence of your being.

We access this light when we bring our will into alignment with God's will for me and God's  creation.

In Unitarian Univeralism, this light is the awarenss of our innate holiness and what Universalists teach is universal salvation. This salvation is Unconditional Love of creation.

Unitarian Univeralists recognize this light in all of God's creation when they covenant together to affirm and promote their third principle which is the acceptance of another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations and throughout all of God's creation.

Our mission statement at UU A Way of Life ministries is to "sanctify the world by helping people become aware of their holiness." One way of pursuing this mission is to recognize, acknowledge, and extend the light with us based on our Oneness with the Tao and flowing with Our will for creation.

This practice involves giving up our grievances and sense of victimhood. We are presented with forgivness opportunities many times duing the day when we can choose either the darkness, resentments, anger, bitterness, and fear of the path of the ego, or the light, remembrance, joy, and peace of the Tao.

Today's lesson - Letting go of grievances is second principle work and God's plan for salvation.

Today's lesson, number 72 in A Course In Miracles, is "Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation."

The introduction to A Course In Miracles says in part, "The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance."

Isn't that beautiful?

Love is our natural inheritance and is always with us. The Universalists have taught this since the late 1700s in the America.

The problem is all the crap and bull shit which we surround ourselves with. The crap and bullshit fightenes us, angers us, hurts us, and we are left with resentments, grievances, and vengefulness. And when we fill our lives with this ego nonsense, it's no wonder we have lost sight of love.

God's plan for salvation, as the Universalists have taught us, is Unconditional love which knows nothing of time and is eternal. It is here right now and it will be where ever we go even as we "pass away" from this veil of tears.

The second principle of Unitarian Univeralism asks us to affirm and promote, justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. Application of this second principle is the giving up of grievances which we hold which are an attack on God's plan for salvation which is the manifestation of Unconditional Love.

Salvation is when everybody loves everybody all the time. Humanity is a long way from achieving this goal, but we can experience this Unconditional Love for a second in giving up the grievances that we hold on to. This giving up of grievances that we hold on to that ACIM calls "forgiveness."

Forgiveness is a miracle because it is a letting go of grievances and a shift from conditional love to unconditional love. In this perfect moment, healing occurs and we experience an abiding peace.

Today's lesson - Why have we been so silly thinking that we knew better?

Today's lesson, number 71 in A Course In Miracles, is "Only God's plan for salvation will work."

Which path do you choose to follow: the path of the ego or the path of God?

A Course in Miracles calls the first path wrong minded and the second right minded and the third kind of mind is the decision making mind which chooses.

The path of the ego promises all kinds of illusions and idols which will make us happy and our life worth living. We are disappointed over and over and over again. We are filled with frustration, greivance, resentment, depression, and finally, when we hit bottom, it dawns on us that there must be a better way.

In this dawning there is the beginning of the search which is affirmed and promoted in Unitarian Univeralism in its fourth principle, the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This search takes us onto the path of God where we ask the Holy Spirit, the Muse, our Higher Power, the Spirit of Life what we should do, where we should go, what we should say, with whom we should interact. We turn it over as they say in Alcoholics Anonymous.

It is in the third step of AA, "Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God." that we have hope for "Ony God's plan for salvation will work." God knows that our attempts on the path of the ego have failed and often failed miserably.

So we have a simple decision to make: do things our way or God's way? Today's lesson gently reminds us with a gentle smile and laugh, "Only God's plan for salvation will work." Why have we been so silly?

Today's lesson, number 70, "My salvation comes from within."

Today's lesson, number 70 in A Course In Miracles, is "My salvation comes from within."

When did your pursuit of external things whether posessions, relationships, self improvement, change in circumstances, bodily heath every make you totally and permanently happy?

The illusions and idols of happiness - making things and experiences are the productions of the ego activities of marketing, advertising, cravings, desires, projections. These things on the path of the ego are not the source of your salvation.

Salvation comes from within and comes from aligning our will with what we believe is God's will for us.

Salvation is not to be found on the path of the ego. Salvation is to be found on the path of God where Unconditional love is found.

Universalists have known this and preached it since the late 1700s in the U.S. The God of punishment by hell fire, and greed of heaven is dying, and the God of Unconditional love, manifested in universal salvation and loving inclusion and joining, is the faith upon which we build our covenant and our lives.

The salvation of the world will be realized when everybody loves everybody all the time.

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Today's lesson - Move past grievances to save the world

Today's lesson, number 69 in A Course In Miracles, is "My grievances hide the light of the world in me."

It is easy for Unitarian Universalists to be self righteous in their social justice concerns and activism. If, in their social justice work, UUs hold on to grievances, and victimhood they misserve themselves and the world rather than ameliorate themselves and the world.

The salvation of the world comes from Unconditional Love not from grievances. The lesson today teaches that to right the wrongs on the path of the ego is to focus on the illusional, the delusional, and we make of idols things that are better recognized, acknowledged, and then risen above.

Martin Luther King, Jr., emulating Jesus, was not only nonviolent but loved his enemies. It is this love which is the light of the world not the triumph over injustice. Triumphing over injustice believed in only leads to new forms of domination, oppression, and subjugation. Changing forms does not change content. Salvation comes from a change in content not form.

The opposite of fear and attack is love, and love has no real opposite being too big to be encompassed in any definition. Unconditional Love is the light of the world which is its salvation. Grievances and victimhood hide this light.

Universalists have known this in America since the late 1700s when they spread the gospel of God's unconditional love and universal salvation. In our contemporary times, Universal salvation has been increasingly understood and accepted, and Universal inclusion, on earth as it is in heaven, has become our goal. This Universal inclusion requires the relinquishment of grievances so the light of Unconditional Love can save the world.

Today's lesson - "Love holds no grievances."

Today's lesson, number 68 in A Course In Miracles, is "Love holds no grievances." It is written in this lesson in ACIM, "You who were created by love like itself can hold no grievances and know your Self. To hold a grievance is to forget who you are. To hold a grievance is to see yourself as a body. To hold a grievance is to let the ego rule you mind and condemn the body to death. Perhpas you do not yet fully realize just what holding grievances  does to the mind. It seems to split you off from your Source and make you unlike Him."

Grievances corrupt and are toxic to the person holding them. Playing the victim is deadly to spiritual health.

Holding grievances is the opposite of what Universalism teaches which is Unconditional Love.

The metaphysical philosophy of A Course In Miracles teaches that the world of the ego is not real but is based on illusions. Grievances come from our belief in special relationships which are based on the principles of "give to get" and "one or the other." These principles of special relationships violate the seven principles which Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote.

When UUs hold grievances something has gone wrong with the covenant. There has been a breach in the rapport. The person holding the grievance has made a mistake in misperceiving his/her brother and sister, and no longer holds precious the person's inherent worth and dignity, the first principle of UU.

Forgiveness is the path to letting go of grievances. Forgiveness in this context is the taking the person where they're at and rising above any sense of victimhood knowing that we all are God's creatures.

Forgiveness does not mean not setting limits or accepting abuse. It means dealing with dysfunctional and toxic situations with love recognizing that attacks by others are calls for love.

We have expressions like "water off a duck's back," "rolling with the punch," "developing thicker skin," etc. Holding no grievances means living above it all, not in a dismissive, avoidant, or condescending way, but rather acknowledging the attack and not taking it personally, refusing to see oneself as a victim.

"Holding no grievances" is a decision we make, and a position we take based on a new understanding of who we are and the place we have in the interdependent web of God's existence.

Today's lesson - We are like God with a Divine Spark

Today's lesson, number 67 in A Course In Miracles, is "Love created me like itself."

Today's lesson is the main idea of Universalism, that we all have inherent worth and dignity and as we recognize this in our brothers and sisters we recognize it in ourselves.

Peace Pilgrim said, "I look for the Divine Spark in each person I meet and then I focus on that."

The faith of Universalism is that when the Divine Spark of every person are joined the blaze of heaven is experienced. It is an experience of great peace and bliss to recognize, aknowledge, and accept that we each are a part of this communion of saints.

Our seventh principle affirms and promotes the respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Love created this interdependent web by extending the Tao, the ground of existence into the world which is undertood to be nondualistic Oneness from which we have separated ourselves and now must understand this as a mistake for our separate self, our individualized person is not who we really are, but rather an illusion of the ego. And so today, we see that Love created me like itself and I am part of the All.