Chapter 4.I – The Last Foolish Journey
March 31, 2021
In this section more of our assumptions about ideas and words are redefined. In chapter 3 we learned that fatigue is a sign of our debasement, the remaking of ourselves as inefficient and lacking. We also learned that the unconscious is the realm of the ego and that the ego is not the self. We can assume then, that if we identify with the products of our unconscious, the world we see and the body we believe we are inhabiting, we must also identify as an ego. The ego is the image or self-concept we made to replace God’s creation. However, we are God’s creations, His Sons. It is important to understand these new concepts of devotion, inspiration, fatigue, self-centered, egocentric, dispirited and narcissistic before we can move on with this program constructively.
When we are genuinely devoted the result is to be inspired. “To be inspired is to be in the spirit.” (1:6) In other words to be inspired is to acknowledge God as our author, as our creator. To be egocentric is to be dispirited. This means to reject spirit as identification.
We may think that being self-centered is to be egocentric but here we learn that to be self-centered means I am not trying to break God’s copyright, or His authorship of me. I am not trying to make a defective copy of God’s copyrighted creation. To be centered on myself as God authored me is to be inspired. When I am in spirit, I have no lack and love is true, not embarrassing. To be fatigued or embarrassed is to be egocentric and this is to be dispirited.
When we speak our words are expressions of our thoughts. We can choose who to speak from or who to let direct our thoughts. When we are self-centered, we know God as our creator, and we will speak from this knowing. (3:6) The words are His, not ours, therefore, we have no need to be embarrassed.
To be egocentric is to be narcissistic “to place your faith in the unworthy.”4:1) This is in direct opposition to our identity as the product of divine creation. We have made an identification error.
The trouble is that we think we will be attacked for this error and we do attack ourselves and each other for these errors that show up in our planning and maneuvering this world to make it work. Jesus uses Don Quixote as an example of trying to solve our misidentification as ego, by maneuvering the products of the ego, behaving egotistically. Jesus says, “attacking misidentification errors is neither my function nor yours.” (5:1)
When we see errors in ourselves and in the world, we need to become genuinely devoted by becoming self-centered. Our mind is then associated with spirit and Jesus can guide it. This is how we transcend the crucifixion and allow it to be our last foolish ego journey. We can then go the extra mile with our brother when he needs it, and our words and actions will come from identification with spirit “forever unwilling to depart from (God as) its foundation.” (7:2) Doing this, we have joined Jesus in his resurrection, his decision for spirit as his foundation. It is how we go twice as far as asked and “leads to our mutual progress.” (1:4)
We have willfully restored the power of our mind and “overcome the cross (misidentification as ego).” (8:6) We need to “read these teachings carefully,” (8:8) We need to prepare for the real journey Jesus wants us to undertake with him.
Suggested Practice
My real worth is my divine authorship, and my spirit is its acknowledgment.