Today’s reading is about resistance. We each experience resistance to truth. We experience resistance to the degree that we are attached to the body-personality-mind as “me.” In other words, the more I see ‘this’ as me, the more I resist truth and the practices that lead to truth.
Why?
If I think ‘this’ is me, including this mind’s desires, fears and will, then I feel threatened by truth to the point of believing that I am losing what I am.
Resistance can take on many forms. Sometimes resistance is light and barely noticed as resistance. An example of light resistance is avoiding daily contemplation and meditation in favor of something else, like sleeping later, watching TV, playing video games, hanging out on social media, and etcetera.
Sometimes resistance and can be very strong. It can appear as absolute panic. I remember one of my biggest bouts with resistance. I thought I was being led, step-by-step, away from sanity into insanity. While the resistance attack lasted, there seemed to be evidence to prove that I was right. I became very afraid. Fortunately, clarity broke through long enough for me to see that I was experiencing an attack of resistance, and I was able to move into rest-accept-trust until fear dissipated. This happened just before finishing NTI. If I had “run from the spiritual path—run away now,” which is what the fear was encouraging me to do, we wouldn’t have NTI, The Thoughts of Awakening, The Teachings of Inner Ramana or Awakening Together today.
In today’s reading, Peter is overcome with extreme fear after Jesus shares “great truths that had not been shared before.” These truths are the same truths that I shared with you in Year 1 through the tips on ACIM Workbook Lessons 298-358. Until this day, Peter had not realized that he was on a path of letting go of the sense of self-existence. Imagine yourself in the wilderness, on a mountain with a man who you thought taught simple forgiveness and love, and then suddenly realizing that he is leading you to the end of your personal sense of existence. And you’re stuck on top of a mountain with this madman, miles from the nearest village!! What if he pushes you off of a cliff?
That’s how strong resistance can be sometimes. Fear can take hold with a very tight grip. Panic sets in. Seeing and thinking become incredibly distorted.
When fear is strong, it is not the time to do anything. It is not the time to make decisions or make changes. When fear is strong, it is time for rest-accept-trust. Wait in patience—realize, “This too shall pass”—until a sense of peace, trust or well being returns.
The spiritual path can be likened to a children’s game, which is called “Red Light, Green Light.” Here’s how to play: Do nothing—make no changes—whenever fear is present (red light). Move forward with intuition when there is peace and trust (green light). In this way, you make steady progress to the finish line (awakening).
Note: Today’s reading ends about one third of the way down page 94. The last line of the reading is, “In this way, you find yourself on the path of healing with a mighty companion by your side.”
