Since starting my studies of The Course many years ago, I have re-read the Text and done the Lessons several times as many Course students have.  Given some of the events this month, with seemingly the strongest and happiest among us making the decision to leave the road of life, I just happened to be studying this milestone Lesson 300 from the Workbook:

Only an instant does this world endure.

This is a thought which can be used to say that death and sorrow are the certain lot of all who come here, for their joys are gone before they are possessed, or even grasped. Yet this is also the idea that lets no false perception keep us in its hold, nor represent more than a passing cloud upon a sky eternally serene. And it is this serenity we seek, unclouded, obvious and sure, today.

It was mentioned by the main characters in The Disappearance of the Universe that more people in the history of the world have taken their own life than have been lost by all the wars of history, combined.  The reason stated is the tremendous unknown, unseen, but very much felt deeply embedded psychological guilt of Separation.  Your seeming separation from God.  The guilt stems from our idea that we were the cause of it, we did it, we are to blame and therefore we merit punishment.  This thought, played out can but lead to unfortunate results.

Guilt is like Carbon Monoxide in some ways.  You can’t see it, hear it, touch it or smell it.  It’s like the Iceberg of Life.  But exposed to it for a sufficient length of time and the results can be deadly.  Pain in some way is similar to the scented gas the delivery companies add to Fuel Gas.  It lets you know something is wrong.  If you can understand the root cause a bit better, you can head guilt off at the pass.

The Atonement principle and it’s main tool here, Forgiveness works on the level of Cause.  If you can see that your Brother merits pardon, you can see that you merit pardon as well.  Psychologically this relieves guilt.  Spiritually, The Holy Spirit takes the cue and works at removing guilt from the parts of your mind that you can’t see or presently get to.  You can easily substitute any “Situation” for your brother, as they are as unreal or causeless as the bodies you feel you see in front of you.  They are both projections of deep seated guilt.  Situations are effects, not cause.  When the cause has been recognized and removed, the effects will disappear as well.  This is the rightful relationship, for in our desperation, we have “put the cart before the horse”.  How can any road we travel make sense with this type of confusion?

It is hard work.  Bad feelings and terrible situations can as easily come out of nowhere as they can seem to be forever entrenched in your daily life.  But be of good cheer, because you’re not guilty.  You are simply dreaming that you are.  The dream may seem awfully real at times, but in the end you can let the dream go, like the passing cloud the Course talks about.

From our perspective, the road may be long and winding, with no sure destination and filled with perils and plights along the way.  But even in this, you only travel in dreams.  Believe that you are safe, believe that you never left home, believe that a dream – any dream can simply be laughed away and forgiven, and you can begin to sense the sunshine that has never left, and never will.

We seek Your holy world today. For we, Your loving Sons, have lost our way a while. But we have listened to Your Voice, and learned exactly what to do to be restored to Heaven and our true Identity. And we give thanks today the world endures but for an instant. We would go beyond that tiny instant to eternity.