Good Morning! Today's lesson extends from yesterday in that not only are we upset that we see a meaningless world but now we are fearful today as well. Notice in the first paragraph where it says: Nothing without meaning exists. The Introduction to A Course in Miracles says: This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way: Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.
So, it follows that the meaninglessness that we see which is upsetting and fearful is not really there at all. It is the result of our egoic mind that is frantically rushing in to fill our thoughts with its reality, a reality that is made up and not of God. Notice in the first sentence of paragraph 2 where it talks about the "separated ones". This is the first mention of this concept and it bears a little time here so that everyone reading this knows who the separated ones are. WE are the separated ones, those of us who are alive now in bodily form and existing on this planet in this made-up world. We made a mistake and thought we were separate from God and so now, we compete with God on a daily basis. In a way, we do not trust that God's Truth is really there for us so we frantically try to figure out meaning for ourselves. Any meaning that we figure out by ourselves is meaningless, and of course, that realization makes us angry, defensive and fearful.
The undoing of this separation is called the Atonement in A Course in Miracles. A very good section to read today, if you have time for extra credit, is Section II of the Text in Chapter 2. It is called The Atonement as Defense.
The lesson today tells us that we may want to dismiss it entirely or it may make us overly fearful. Just be willing to absorb it today without thinking it to death. Remember we don't have to agree with these lessons for them to be effective! Thank God for that.
Joan