SO HOW ABOUT MIRACLES?

This question of miracles has completely occupied my attention during the last week. I haven’t been doing too much art lately. All I seem to do is read, have a little nap to let it percolate, and then read some more. Why haven’t I come across this stuff before?

 “A Return to Love” is amazing. It is so simple and so profound and somehow indubitably true. Williamson is commenting on A Course in Miracles (by the Foundation for Inner Peace) and the course can be summed up very simply, she says.

“Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.”

She further translates this for us: “Love is real. It is a creation by God and nothing can destroy it. Anything that isn’t love (like its opposite, fear) is an illusion. Remember this, and you’ll be at peace.”

Fear is illusory. Other people teach us how to feel fear. Hollywood creates movies about fear. Fear was not created by God – there is no need to feel it – it is not in the world with us. If we all believed and lived by this there would be no war, no competition, no greed, no starving children, no planet damage, and we would all live in peace. Period.

I talked to an old friend (a youthful friend of long standing) after a funeral yesterday, and she told me that my old spiritual advisor had come back to this province. How extraordinary that I should see her, (and that she has a new computer and actually gets e-mail again) and that she should tell me out of the blue that he is back again, when I have been thinking how much I would like to see him.

He was once asked by a child whether dogs go to heaven when they die, and while I can’t remember all of his answer, this is what I took away with me: 

   1. Heaven is all about love. It’s not a place but rather an awareness of peace and being surrounded by that love. We are not judged there – just loved unconditionally.

   2. Dogs give us that kind of love: even when we get angry at them, or shout, or feed them late, they still love us, and wag their tails and want to be with us.

   3. If they already know that kind of love, they don’t need to go to Heaven because they are already there - here, with us.

We have been babysitting a friend’s dog. She is gentle and obedient and she licks your face if you put yours close to hers. All she wants is to be in the room with you, and if the sun is shining, or the fire is on, she doesn’t fret – she just finds the best spot available and is at peace. I could learn a lot from this dog.

So, what does Williamson say about miracles? Well, for one thing she doesn’t believe that they can be directed (e.g. “I pray that your broken leg will instantly heal”), and I am not so sure I agree with that now. But she does believe that if you are in perfect peace, miracles can occur. Miracles reverse physical laws.  Time and space are under His command and he can break the rules when He wants. 

And being in perfect peace? How do you do that? I haven’t got there yet, but will let you know when I do!