In the SPIRIT of Independence Day

 In the SPIRIT

of 

Independence Day:

No longer dependent on guilt, fear, judgment 

and attack as a way of life.

How is this achieved?

Do we need a Revolutionary War in order to achieve this?

Who is the enemy?

How do we advance?

Must there be sacrifice?

What will I need to give up?

Does someone, anyone need to suffer?

What will we need to renounce?

Will there be bridges to cross?

Must there be a winner and a loser?

How will we gain our freedom, our liberty?

Will there be justice for all?

Whom do we need to follow?

Who will shout out the orders?

Who is our Leader?

How will we recognize victory?

 How is this achieved?

Through forgiveness, that is by seeing only the light within our brothers and sisters. Our only function is to heal and by doing so we heal others.

Do we need a Revolutionary War in order to achieve this?

The only revolution we need is that within our mind. We will need to move from wrong-minded thinking to right-minded thinking. We need to create miracles, of which there is no order of difficulty.

Who is the enemy?

Truly, there are no enemies.  Our only adversary is our ego who works tirelessly to capture our attention.  The ego invites us to live in the illusion of darkness rather than the reality of light.  The ego thrives on advancing the illusion of separation.  It is that which we fight and through this fight we lose sight of our natural state of peace.

How do we advance?

We advance by asking Spirit to see things as they truly are.  Our task then is to quiet our mind so that we may hear Spirit’s Answer.

Must there be sacrifice?

Sacrifice is ego-based.  If we offer gifts to our sisters and brothers and feel that we must sacrifice in order to do so, ego experiences bliss.  However, when our gift of love is offered with no thought of sacrifice, we experience the reciprocal gift of love.

What will I need to give up?

Rather thinking of giving up something, which would imply sacrifice, it is more helpful to think about what we must change in order to recognize Truth.  We will want to change our thought processes from wrong-minded thinking.   That is, listening to the cacophony of the ego.  Instead we’ll want to quiet our mind, ask and then receive guidance from Spirit.  We may receive this guidance through something we are reading, through a conversation with another, through a line in a movie or any other medium through which Spirit chooses to communicate.  But, we must be willing to listen for, and recognize the Answer.

Does someone, anyone need to suffer?

Suffering is the work of ego.  Spirit never wants us to suffer because it is counter to God’s plan of eternal peace, joy, truth and spiritual love.

What do we need to renounce?

Hmmmm, renounce is an interesting way to put this.  More helpful queries might be:

Q: What will I choose to turn away from?  A: ego’s thoughts, judgments and answers. 

Q: What will I choose to do?  A: See only the light in others and turn away from judging them and myself. 

Q: To Whom will I chose to listen? A: Spirit

Will there be bridges to cross?

The only bridge you’ll need to cross is that from illusion to Reality. It is well worth the trek, for on the other side you will recognize your Oneness with our Source.  Reality is the heaven that lives within our mind, which we access by healing, by forgiving.  Spirit holds the compass.  Your only task is to follow the directions offered you.  Remember however, it is your choice.

Must there be a winner and a loser?

Winning and losing exists solely in the ‘land of the ego.’  If one wins it is implied that another must lose.  Spirit has no such rulebook.  When we offer spiritual love to any of God’s creations the result is only a win-win.

How will we gain our freedom, our liberty?

By turning away from ego and turning to Spirit.

Will there be justice for all?

What is justice but fairness, honesty and fair dealing.  Of course God would be just.  That is, all of God’s creations are extended the same love because we are all one with our Source.  We are offered the same quality of peace, joy and eternal bliss because that is all that God want for His creations.  There is no entity more just than our Source.

Whom do we need to follow?

Spirit, but not into battle. Spirit invites us to follow the one true path to Peace.

Who will shout out the orders?

Whom you choose to follow will determine whose orders or invitations you opt to hear. The ego shouts orders constantly, continuously, and unyieldingly.  We have gotten so used to ego’s commands that we think ego is the only one in charge.  We stand at attention and blindly follow ego into the pits of hell.  However, (and here’s where free-will and choice come in) if you turn down ego’s volume, quiet your mind and decide to follow Spirit, you need only ask and listen to receive the gentle guidance necessary to attain the peace for which you have so longed.

Who is our Leader?

You know by now that you have a choice.  So, whom do you wish to follow?

How will we recognize victory?

You will recognize it when at last you remember that:

Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists.  
Herein lies the peace of God.
ACIM I-2.2-4.

 Photos by Barb Adams (c)