Chapter 3.IV – Innocent Perception
March 16, 2021
“This section is so short, despite its extreme importance, because it is not symbolic. This means it is not open to more than one interpretation.” (7:1-2) It is worth remembering this and reflecting upon it as you study the section. The concepts Jesus is teaching us cannot be accepted partially, therefore our perception of our innocence is not symbolic, it is a fact. We cannot be sometimes innocent and sometimes not. The fact is that it is impossible to maintain “coexisting polarities.” (1:2) The acceptance of coexisting polarities would be accepting the existence of light and darkness or everything and nothing at the same time. This is clearly impossible; it is either dark or light; you have everything or you have nothing. Consequently we cannot be innocent and not innocent. In other words we cannot be in a state of grace and also a physical state. We are one or the other.
This concept is important for us to apply diligently as we journey toward our graduation from A Course in Miracles. “Certain fundamental concepts cannot be understood” (if we insist on believing that polarities can coexist.) (1:2) While we continue to vacillate in our beliefs our behaviour will also vacillate and remain erratic.
Jesus explains that it is logical and necessary to accept truth rather than miscreations. He reasonably presents the fact that if we have experienced a little light and some of everything this means we are “unable to deny truth totally, even if [we] manage to deceive [ourselves] in this connection most of the time.” (2:3) Since there is no such thing as coexisting polarities, we can use this reasoning to question our belief in our darkness and loss, reminding ourselves there is light and in truth we have everything.
With the same line of reasoning Jesus says, “Innocence is also not a partial attribute.” (3:1) Remember, in Cameo 13, Edgar Cayce’s difficulty accepting that “the nonexistence of his past was accomplished.” He could accept that this was so for those he was helping but not for himself. His behaviour remained erratic, and he could never really offer Atonement to others because he never quite stopped miscreating.
When we worry “about what someone else will do (we are perceiving him through our own miscreation and) attesting to our belief that he is not in his right mind.” (4:1) This is a rejection of the miracle as a creative power to “perceive everything as it is.” (4:4) This means that we have missed the opportunity to use the remedy Jesus taught us and accept a miracle for ourselves resulting in maintaining the misperception.
We will continue to behave erratically and miscreate if we are unable to accept our innocence. The more we apply the remedy and develop a sense of our true state of innocence the sooner we will stop behaving erratically and stupidly, and instead we will gain wisdom. This means that we will gain “innocent or ‘true’ perception” (3:6) and “withdraw our faith in delusions and invest it only in what is true.” (5:1)
Remembering that coexisting polarities are impossible we want to recognize that nothing but truth exists. When we have accepted our innocence, we gain true perception, which is also right-mindedness and “rightminded seeing cannot see anything but perfection.” (4:5) Perfection is what God and we create with the will of God. Anything we make outside of God’s will is miscreated. Remember that fear, or anything that comes under that heading, is a signal that we are miscreating, that is, suffering “from the delusions of the separated ones,” (4:7) and need to turn to Jesus for the remedy to help us correct that misthinking.
The beauty of maintaining vigilance for our miscreating and instead accepting our innocence is that it does not just correct our errors in thinking. The truth that we accept “overcomes all error.” (6:1) This is how the miracle “cancels out misperceptions in [us] and others simultaneously.” (6:1) When we refuse to accept our own or others’ miscreations and accept only truth we “know that when He shall appear (or be perceived) we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (7:3) When we refuse coexisting polarities, we will see God in our brothers because He is there and we will know ourselves.
Reflection:
Whenever you become aware that you are feeling anything other than complete peace today think about the fact that coexisting polarities are impossible. Pause for a moment and reflect on the idea that because you have felt joy and experienced light you cannot deny truth totally. Take some time and think about the remedy Jesus has given us when this happens. Open your mind and ask him to join with you so that his complete conviction of your worth, your state of innocence, joins with your incomplete conviction. Feel his complete unwavering love join with your lack, filling you with love. Let yourself accept that this is truth and stop miscreating now! Spend as much time as necessary to let peace come seeping back into your sense of yourself. Do this as often as you need to each time you experience a disruption to your state of peace.
Suggested Practice:
It is right to hope that I can accept my innocence and see correctly because the ability to do so is in me. I refuse to accept any thought that polarities can coexist so I may see God in my brothers and know myself.