Under the skin

 Welcome to Daily Miracles, a running commentary on the 365 lessons of A Course in Miracles, an influential spiritual text from the 1970s. I am James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I go through this material for the first time. 

Lesson 158

Today I learn to give as I receive. (ACIM, W-158)

This is key:

Christ’s vision has one law. ²It does not look upon a body, and mistake it for the Son whom God created. ³It beholds a light beyond the body; an idea beyond what can be touched, a purity undimmed by errors, pitiful mistakes, and fearful thoughts of guilt from dreams of sin. ⁴It sees no separation. ⁵And it looks on everyone, on every circumstance, all happenings and all events, without the slightest fading of the light it sees. (ACIM, W-158.7:1-5)

I'm reminded of two movies from the 1980s, They Live and Cocoon. In They Live, an underground group has developed sunglasses that distinguish printed words and subliminal meanings. Also, those who see through with these sunglasses see greedy, narcissistic, monstrous-looking extraterrestrials underneath the clothing of human skin.

Cocoon is different. It, too, features extra-terrestrials. But they are beneficent, and underneath their human-looking skin they are beings of light.

If you look upon another, what do you want to see? Someone who is worse than they appear, or someone who is perfect?

How would you like to be seen? You know you're not a monster, so you wouldn't want to be seen as one. 

And nobody wants to be seen as a monster because nobody is. 

Deep down, in our essence, is goodness, a light that never dies. Life is more enjoyable when we see that light in everyone.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support! You may contact him for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.

(Photo credit: Ivoronwik)