To forgive is divine. I do not remember where I heard this, but it seems a bit awkward. God forgives when we ask her, but why should he? If we are born of Divine love, in God’s image, and we have free will, then how is forgiveness required?
The Course in Miracles is a great book to study, read it more than once. Take time to digest it and find the shifts in thinking both for self and with in the book. I have read this book more than a dozen times and each time the words offer new understanding.
The Urtext is the rough draft of the Course In Miracles, you can down load a copy or read it online. The text here is similar, the language is not condensed or choppy as some complain about the final edition of CiM. I enjoy reading this because I get the insights as given by Jesus. Insights like explaining the concepts of iron and spider webs (p15, end of page).
Forgiveness is an act of love which in turn is a miracle. Miracles are always present, born of love, natural and one does not need to think about performing them. This is the nature of the Course (pp15-17).
Forgiveness is equal to atonement. One need only ask for atonement, forgiveness, as Jesus tells us we have everything else. Yet sin is made by man to punish man and since it is created by man and no the Divine why ask for forgiveness? Sin is not a Divine act, will, or design. It is something that man created, born out of religion, a need to control? Where is the proof of any of this? Yet the question remains, why ask for forgiveness? Why ask God, Jesus, or the Divine to atone for “me”?
Forgiveness is the act of love that frees self and the person being forgiven. When asking the Divine to forgive you this is the act of releasing yourself from guilt and shame. But it is also the act of owning your mistake, stating “I know I made a mistake and I need to fix it.” The guilt of creating that mistake may be removed or not.
When there is no shift or change to a healing or loving state of being it may be a sign that you did not mean what you asked for. That you do not believe that what you did require forgiveness.
The other note to make about forgiveness is this, intention and attitude are important. Believe in what you ask for. Learn from this mistake, take note of it, listen to it, remember it. This is necessary to keep from repeating the same mistake.
What is your belief about forgiveness? How do you feel when you consider the concept? Notice any physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts that arise. Listen. Is there anything you might like to change? Or are you comfortable with your belief?
The decision is yours. Not mine. I can write several times over on this topic, each one from a different perspective. My beliefs belong to me. No matter what you read or hear, the final say is yours.
Take what you need and leave the rest.
