The Lessons of the Holy Spirit
by Tom Baker
Lesson: To Have, Give All to All Text, Chap. 6, IV. The Only Answer & V.
The Lessons of the Holy Spirit, pp. 100-111
Date: September 10, 2008
The Holy Spirit is the part of our minds that is still united with God, with the eternity and wholeness and allness of the Kingdom. Another way of saying this is that there is a spirit of holiness within us that remembers that we are loved. That spirit is gentle, completely gentle, never even suggesting harm to us. In the Manual for teachers the fourth characteristic of the teacher of God is Gentleness: "No teacher of God but must learn--and fairly early in his [her] training--that harmfulness completely obliterates his [her] function from his [her] awareness." (M. p. 13). While the Holy Spirit corrects our thinking, He never accuses us of stupidity or sinfulness or evil intent but gently offers the truth of our being which is love. The ego, on the other hand, is constantly pointing out what is wrong and bad and shameful, as if our guilt were the key to who we are. But, of course, the ego thought is the aggressive forgetfulness of our true nature as in 'Who do you think you are anyway?' Or 'How dare you suggest that anyone could love you?' Our memories are full of such ego messages, most of which we have ceased to question. Instead we try to prove ourselves acceptable, attempting to outrun the shadow that follows us.
"Remember that the Holy Spirit is the Answer, not the question. The ego always speaks first. It is capricious and does not mean its maker well...The ego, then, raised the first question that was ever asked, but one it can never answer. That question, 'What are you?' was the beginning of doubt...The Holy Spirit does not speak first, but He always answers...The ego, which is not real, attempts to persuade the mind, which is real, that the mind is the ego's learning device; and further, that the body is more real than the mind is. No one in his right mind could possibly believe this, and no one in his right mind does believe it. Hear, then, the one answer of the Holy Spirit to all the questions the ego raises: You are a child of God, a priceless part of His Kingdom, which He created as part of Him...What would be gained if God proved to you that you have thought insanely? Can God lose His Own certainty? I have frequently said that what you teach you are. Would you have God teach you that you have sinned? If He confronted the self you made with the truth He created for you, what could you be but afraid? You would doubt your right mind, which is the only place where you can find the sanity He gave you...A harsh and strident form of communication arose as the ego's voice. It could not shatter the peace of God, but it could shatter yours. God did not blot it out, because to eradicate it would be to attack it. Being questioned, He did not question. He merely gave the Answer. His Answer is your Teacher." (T. pp. 100-103)
From the perspective of the Course it can seem that God does not care, that He does not take our struggles and suffering seriously. It is true that God does not suffer with us nor does he share our conclusions of what is wrong with us. Yet His caring is infinite and constant, as is His confidence in our return to Him (and ourselves) in awareness. God values the power and creativity of our minds more than we do, much more, so the Holy Spirit awakens us without scaring us and corrects us without shaming us.
"How can you wake children in a more kindly way than by a gentle Voice that will not frighten them, but will merely remind them that the night is over and the light has come? You do not inform them that the nightmares that frightened them so badly are not real, because children believe in magic. You merely reassure them that they are safe now. Then you train them to recognize the difference between sleeping and waking, so they will understand they need not be afraid of dreams. And so when bad dreams come, they will themselves call on the light to dispel them." (T. p. 104).
In the Course, Jesus does not enumerate the countless atrocities of human history nor does he have the student of the Course reflect upon his or her mistakes. This is consistent with the Jesus portrayed in the Gospel. When Jesus forgives sins he never mentions what sin it is and upon being resurrected he does not refer to the abandonment by his disciples. He does not mix his medicine with pain. He does not warn the teacher of God to beware of crucifying thoughts and avoid dastardly deeds; he simply says: 'Teach only love, for that is what you are.'
"A wise teacher teaches through approach, not avoidance. He does not emphasize what you must avoid to escape from harm, but what you need to learn to have joy. Consider the fear and confusion a child would experience if he were told, 'Do not do this because it will hurt you and make you unsafe; but if you do that instead, you will escape from harm and be safe, and then you will not be afraid." It is surely better to use only three words: 'Do only that!' This simple statement is perfectly clear, easily understood and very easily remembered." (T. p. 104)
The assignment for next time is the same as this week, Chapter 6, IV and V, pp. 100-111. We will finish Chapter 6 next time.
© Copyright Tom Baker 2008