What is the nature of your thought system?

What you must recognize is that when you do not share a thought system, you are weakening it. Those who believe in it therefore perceive this as an attack on them. This is because everyone identifies himself with his thought system, and every thought system centers on what you believe you are. If the center of the thought system is true, only truth extends from it. But if a lie is at its center, only deception proceeds from it. T-6.V.B.1:7-11

A Course in Miracles (p. 235). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The bumper sticker says “Don’t believe everything you think.” What if what you believe isn’t true or only partially true and you are living a lie?

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. What comes from the thought system we adopt? Is it truth, goodness, and beauty or falsehood, evil, and ugliness?

Today it is suggested that we reflect on our thought system and question whether it brings us peace and joy or guilt and discomfort.

Intending to love unconditionally

All who believe in separation have a basic fear of retaliation and abandonment. They believe in attack and rejection, so that is what they perceive and teach and learn. These insane ideas are clearly the result of dissociation and projection. What you teach you are, but it is quite apparent that you can teach wrongly, and can therefore teach yourself wrong. Many thought I was attacking them, even though it was apparent I was not. An insane learner learns strange lessons. T-6.V.B.1:1-6

A Course in Miracles (p. 235). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

In A Course In Miracles there is the concept of “special relationships.” Special relationships are an illusion and the work of the ego. One type of special relationship is the hate relationship. These are relationships in which a person is invested in hating another they perceive as an enemy who is a threat to something the person holds dear. The Course teaches that this fear is insane because ultimately there is no threat to the unconditional love of God. This is the lesson Jesus was teaching when he was attacked and killed by people who felt threatened by his teaching.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and the encouragement to spiritual growth. The application of this principle involves rising about the “give to get” dynamic of the ego and emanates from the unconditional love which passes through us from our Transcendent Source.

Today it is suggested that we bypass the conditional special relating and intend to love unconditionally.

Unconditional love is giving all to all.

Therefore, His teaching begins with the lesson: To have, give all to all. 

This is a very preliminary step, and the only one you must take for yourself. It is not even necessary that you complete the step yourself, but it is necessary that you turn in that direction. Having chosen to go that way, you place yourself in charge of the journey, where you and only you must remain. This step may appear to exacerbate conflict rather than resolve it, because it is the beginning step in reversing your perception and turning it right-side up. This conflicts with the upside-down perception you have not yet abandoned, or the change in direction would not have been necessary. Some remain at this step for a long time, experiencing very acute conflict. At this point they may try to accept the conflict, rather than take the next step towards its resolution. Having taken the first step, however, they will be helped. Once they have chosen what they cannot complete alone, they are no longer alone. T-6.V.A.5,6:13-9. 

A Course in Miracles (pp. 234-235). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Jesus taught that the person who is last will be first and the person who is first will be last (Matthew 19:30). Jesus also taught that the person who will save their life will lose it and the person that will lose their life will save it (Matthew 16:25) What Jesus is referring to is the non dual Oneness which one attains when one sheds their ego. Shedding the ego creates conflict for a person and yet moving in that direction, with the help of the Holy Spirit, one finds great peace and joy.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us covenant together to affirm and promote a love for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Today it is suggested that we rise above our ego and give all to all.

Overcoming fears with love, tears with laughter, and distress with joy.

Perhaps you think that fear as well as love can be communicated; and therefore can be shared. Yet this is not so real as it may appear. Those who communicate fear are promoting attack, and attack always breaks communication, making it impossible. Egos do join together in temporary allegiance, but always for what each one can get separately. The Holy Spirit communicates only what each one can give to all. He never takes anything back, because He wants you to keep it. Therefore, His teaching begins with the lesson: To have, give all to all. T-6.V.A.5:6-13

A Course in Miracles (p. 234). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Fear ultimately creates separation and division. Love creates unification and communion. The old saying is “United we stand. Divided we fall.”

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today it is suggested that we overcome our fears with love, our tears with laughter, and our distress with joy.

Enhancing empathic understanding.

The ego uses the body for attack, for pleasure and for pride. The insanity of this perception makes it a fearful one indeed. The Holy Spirit sees the body only as a means of communication, and because communicating is sharing it becomes communion. T-6.V.A.5:3-5

A Course in Miracles (p. 234). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

If is an interesting idea that the body is merely a means of communication that contributes to communion.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today it is suggested that we tune in and enhance empathic understanding of people we come into contact with.

Do you want more of what you are teaching?

T-6.V.A.5. The Holy Spirit, Who leads to God, translates communication into being, just as He ultimately translates perception into knowledge. You do not lose what you communicate.

A Course in Miracles (p. 234). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The idea that you do not lose what you communicate is a fundamental idea in ACIM similar to the idea that you learn what you teach. Once this idea is grasped, it leads to the question of what would we have? If it is love, teach love. If it is hate, teach hate. If it is peace, teach peace. If it is joy, teach joy.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. The application of this principle involves the practice of unconditional love.

Today it is suggested that we reflect on what we are teaching to others and what we want more of.

Love your enemies?

To the Holy Spirit, there is no order of difficulty in miracles. This is familiar enough to you by now, but it has not yet become believable. Therefore, you do not understand it and cannot use it. We have too much to accomplish on behalf of the Kingdom to let this crucial concept slip away. It is a real foundation stone of the thought system I teach and want you to teach. You cannot perform miracles without believing it, because it is a belief in perfect equality. Only one equal gift can be offered to the equal Sons of God, and that is full appreciation. Nothing more and nothing less. Without a range, order of difficulty is meaningless, and there must be no range in what you offer to your brother. T-6.V.A.4:1-9

A Course in Miracles (pp. 233-234). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Spirituality, at its core, is not a set of beliefs but an experience. As an experience there is no order of difficulty. Unconditional love is unconditional. That’s it. The realization of this is a miracle.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us join together to accept one another and encourage each other’s spiritual growth. Francis David, the Unitarian pioneer in the 16th century, said that we need not think alike to love alike. The Holy Spirit is the manifestation of unconditional love.

Today it is suggested that we move beyond thinking, beyond beliefs, choose to love unconditionally, even our enemies as Jesus taught.