Monday, April 16, 2012

Principles of miracles #3 - A miracle is evidence of God’s unconditional love


The third principle of miracles is “Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.”

The world of the ego is a world of protection and attack. Ego functions to protect itself and advance its gratification and what it sees as its enhancement. Ego will “love” conditionally if it finds this “love” as gratifying and facilitative of its defense and expansion. The conditional love of the ego is not real love. Real love is unconditional and as the Course states “everything which comes from love is a miracle.”

Unconditional Love is a shift in perception and functioning onto the spiritual dimension out of the world of the ego. True Love is selfless and is the expression of “one for all, and all for one” which the Course calls the Atonement or At-One-Ment. The Atonement, according to Marianne Williamson is when everybody loves everybody all the time. The development of humanity to this point will be possible when everyone participates in the Miracle which is being aware of and present with the Unconditional Love of the Universe which some people refer to as God. The reference to this is somewhat alluded to in the seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”  However, most people would interpret this principle as a systemic, ecological perspective of the world of the ego and not necessarily a shift in perception and appreciation to the spiritual dimension which A Course In Miracles calls a miracle.

How does one enter the spiritual dimension? What is the door that one must pass through? The Course is clear that there are two doors: awareness and forgiveness. First, one must change one’s way of thinking and second, one must forgive oneself and others for participating in the drama in the world of the ego. This type of forgiveness one does not for the benefit of the perceived perpetrator and offender, but one forgives for oneself, a rising above it, so one does not continue to be caught up in the illusion of nonsense which most of us experience as our lives.

If God can be thought of as Love and we were created in God’s image, then we too are extensions of God’s love. Our birthright is to participate naturally in the expression of Love, and miracles are not so much the expressions of Love, but the awareness of the Source from which they flow.

Unitarian Universalism proclaims the “inherent worth and dignity of every person” not because of their ego but because of the divine spark which resides in every person and which inspires the expression of  Unconditional Love which when perceived amazes us as evidence of a Miracle.

3 comments:

  1. The blocks to awareness of Love's presence are so ubiquitous in our society that they seem at times almost insurmountable. God is talking to us all the time, but most of us are so pre-occupied and distracted that we don't tune it.

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  2. How many UUs study ACIM?

    I have been a student for many years, but have never found anyone in my congregation or in my community who is interested or even knows about ACIM.

    It is a "miracle" that I have found your series of articles on this blog. Thank you. I have often wondered why more UUs are interested in the Course.

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  3. I notice that Bull Run UU in Manassas Virginia has a study group that meets to discuss the Course. I found it on the internet at http://www.bruu.org/?p=464. Can anyone share any more information about this?

    Thanks

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