This lesson is read in the context of the section which talks about the Last Judgment. The whole course is summarized in the words in 1.1 of "What is the Last Judgment". These words affirm that "what is false is false, and what is true has never changed". The problem is that we have taught ourselves to believe that what is false is, indeed true. And what does this cover? Well, it covers everything we see. We believe that the body, sin, guilt, fear and the world of time and space are real. We believe that it all ends with death and that death is real. And the issues and problems in our lives all seem very real to us don't they? We believe that our problems and the problems of the world are all very real. 

What Jesus is teaching in the course and every lesson in it is the same thing over and over. It is that nothing real can be threatened (our eternal reality)  and nothing unreal exists (everything of this body, personality and world we see). The real is our eternal Self. And that Self is and always has been innocent.  Jesus says to us "This is a very simple course. Perhaps you do not feel you need a course which, in the end teaches that only reality is true. But do you believe it? When you perceive the real world, you will recognize that you did not believe it".  (T.11.VIII.1)

And what will we perceive when we see the real world? Where we saw sin, we will only see innocence, where we saw attack we will only see a call for love, where we felt afraid we will only know certainty and we will never see any justification for anger, only love. As T.25.III Perception and Choice reminds us, "He will hear plainly that the calls of war he heard before are really calls to peace. He will perceive that where he gave attack is but another altar where he can, with equal ease and far more happiness bestow forgiveness. And he will reinterpret all temptation as just another chance to bring him joy". (T.25.III.6.8)

What is temptation? It is anything in our lives that seems to invite us to worry, be sad, fret, get upset, attack, doubt, be depressed, frustrated, seek pleasure etc. It is, in other words, anything that takes us out of our peace. We can only experience those kinds of feelings if we have judged a situation or event in our lives as something we want or don't want. Thus the lesson says that perception follows judgment. To respond to every situation with love and see nothing that seems to happen to as hurtful in any way is true perception. Everything in our experience  is an opportunity to forgive which is the reflection of God's Love in this world. Everyone in our lives has played their roles exactly as we deemed necessary for our awakening. That is why it is all perfectly in our script for our awakening. When we resist the lessons it is because we have deemed what is good and what is bad for us. But we can't know. 

We may wonder what if we give love and offer forgiveness but it seems not to be received? Lesson 197 reminds us that "It does not matter if another thinks your gifts unworthy. In his mind there is a part that joins with yours in thanking you". I know in my own life there have been many occasions when I have released someone or some situation, and not had any solid evidence that anything has changed. Yet simply trusting that the blessing was received is what is asked of us. Certainly, it is received by our own mind the instant it is given. I have experienced where after some time, something will show up that demonstrates that there has been a miraculous change in the relationship. For example in one situation, I got an email asking for my forgiveness after two years of no communication. It was an affirmation for me that the love is always received and I need not concern myself with the outcome. In fact, Jesus tells us in the Manual for Teachers that when we give the gift, we also give the outcome with it and to worry whether it has been received is simply to offer attack instead of love.  Attack thoughts, judgments, and condemnation all interfere with our goal of enlightenment and thus are always counterproductive. We need not judge ourselves when we do make judgments though, as that too is the same error. Just watching our thoughts is what we are called to do. And then we must be willing to give them over for release.

The Manual for Teachers affirms that "the world will end in love because it is a place of sorrow. The world will end in peace, because it is a place of war. When peace has come, what is the purpose of the world? The world will end in laughter, because it is a place of tears." So all of our trials and tribulations are just a classroom for our learning. That is the only purpose that the world has. That is the only purpose for our seeming problems and fantasies of what we think we need for our happiness. It is to learn that "I see all things as I would have them be" If we want to see differently, we must let the Holy Spirit judge for us. Right now everything we see is just a projection of our own mind looking back at us. The world is only a mirror of our own mind. With changed thoughts we see a changed world.  It is wonderful to have this kind of power in our own mind to heal that which keeps us in despair. We are not a victim of the world we see.

 So today we are invited to see a liberated world, set free from our judgments. In other words, the world we see now is not as it is but our perception of it is based on our interpretation. Notice how hard it is to convince someone of a different view than what they hold. They, the same as ourselves, are convinced of the truth of their perceptions. But how simple to see the real world, yet notice how much resistance there is to releasing our perception, to being right about the way we see. We think that seeing with vision which is to see through Christ's eyes is difficult. Yet in this lesson he assures us that all we have to do is have the desire. "How surely, therefore, must the real world come to greet the holy sight of anyone who takes the Holy Spirit's purpose as his goal for seeing" (1.5)

If we truly want to see a world of love, of innocence and of peace, we will, because of our willingness to surrender being right. When our judgments are released then everyone is blessed through us.  Where we previously saw attack we now see a call for love and understanding. And when doubt and fear arise, we simply observe it and let it go. All it takes is our desire and willingness.  It is to simply observe our own judgments and be willing to look at them without judgment so that they can be released. When we judge our attacks then we are looking at them with the ego. Turning them over to the Holy Spirit allows them to be healed instead. That is what the process of forgiveness is in the course. It is about looking at our own thoughts.

"And he cannot fail to look upon what Christ would have him see and share Christ's Love for what he looks upon". He is assuring us we cannot fail. With determination, purpose, intention, desire and practice, we ask for help to see beyond the error so that we can see the people, events, situations, in our lives as innocent, holy and washed in love. We can thus ultimately know the real world through our willingness to bring all of our judgments to the light of truth without judging ourselves.

 Love and blessings, Sarah

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