HUMMING IN MY UNIVERSE By Jim Paredes (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 24, 2017 – 12:00am
I was again going though the book A Course in Miracles (ACIM). I do this from time to time. I started getting interested in it around 15 years ago. The book was collaboratively written by psychologists Helen Schucman and William Thetford from 1965 to 1972. Schucman claims that the book was dictated to her by Jesus Himself. Thetford was the first person to read the early writings. After he did, he volunteered to edit the manuscript.
The book is a guided manual for inner transformation and espouses that the greatest miracle one can achieve is “awareness of love’s presence.” It is a heavy read and it may take a lifetime to master its teachings. I must warn you, though, that this book has been both highly praised and vilified. Some say it is nothing but “psychobabble.” Some say the Devil wrote it. Others say it is life-changing. Make your own judgment.
What struck me about ACIM were the 50 principles the book claims best describe what miracles are.
For this article, I want to discuss some of them. I won’t list down all 50. I will choose the first 10 to get you thinking about miracles. I know one column cannot do justice to the book since it is so rich in insight and it takes people years to absorb its message. I hope to get you interested in exploring the book yourself. You may find something in it. Or it may turn you off completely.
We all would like to believe in miracles. I know I do. We talk of miracles without analyzing what they are. We just know them as things that happen against the odds. We also see them as interventions in our lives. A Course in Miracles opens our minds to what they really are all about.
1. There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not “harder” or “bigger” than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.
I am amazed at this principle. While I do believe in miracles, I always thought that some are greater miracles than others in that they seem more impossible to happen, yet they do. The truth is, miracles, whether we rate them as big or small, are miracles no less. They are brought about by love.
2. Miracles as such do not matter. The only thing that matters is their Source, which is far beyond evaluation.
Miracles may surprise, amaze us. But the greatness of miracles is not what happens to us but that they come from God and there is no way we can wrap our minds around how big God is. God is the source of everything.
3. Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love.
The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle. Miracles are the result of love. Given that they are, it tells us that everyone who loves can cause transformations to happen to those he loves and even to himself.
4. All miracles mean life, and God is the Giver of life. His Voice will direct you very specifically. You will be told all you need to know.
God is love. He/She is the Source of all love. God also uses us to love and perform miracles to help others. Have you ever felt God talk to you and give you specific instructions? This is pretty hard to answer without thinking that you may be slightly crazy. But the book claims that God does talk to us quite clearly and specifically.
5. Miracles are habits, and should be involuntary. They should not be under conscious control. Consciously selected miracles can be misguided.
Miracles are caused by love. Love is something inherent in us. We spontaneously give and accept love. To give love for the purpose of trying to cause specific intended results may in the end not be fruitful. All we need to do is love unconditionally. Let the miracle happen without our intervention. Leave that to God.
6. Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong.
I have always believed that the forces of the universe are manifestations of love. God is always intervening through miracles. If miracles didn’t happen anymore, it would be a really sad state for the world because it would mean that we have stopped loving and that the Source has abandoned us.
7. Miracles are everyone’s right, but purification is necessary first.
While we are all capable of receiving and sending out miracles, first we must believe that we are indeed capable of loving. We must find our connection to the Source through love. In everyday life though, we tend to belittle our capacity to create miracles or do great things, and so we are blind and do not see them happening as often. Nor do we hear guidance. We must open our minds and hearts and take away all notions that block our understanding of this. We are God-like in our power to love, and thus can create miracles. We must accept that and believe it.
8. Miracles are healing because they supply a lack; they are performed by those who temporarily have more for those who temporarily have less.
Yes, I believe that we all affect each other. We pass on energy, and the best energy we can give to one another is love. Those with higher capacity to give must share. But remember that you will not always be giving out. Sometimes, you may have a deficit of love. We must also be open to accept miracles sent our way.
9. Miracles are a kind of exchange. Like all expressions of love, which are always miraculous in the true sense, the exchange reverses the physical laws. They bring more love both to the giver and the receiver.
The end effect of miracles is a higher state of being for those who give and receive. In fact, the miracle of love maybe the only real, lasting way of interaction we will be experiencing while we are alive. And yes, the power of love can affect the laws of the physical world.
10. The use of miracles as spectacles to induce belief is a misunderstanding of their purpose.
Miracles are not magic tricks that are meant to wow us in some superficial way. They happen not to prove anything. Miracles have a way more profound purpose that is supposed to lead us to the Source and thus transform us.
There are 40 more principles to explore in the book. They are definitely something to think about. Whether the book was divinely inspired or not, I can’t say. But it does open your heart and mind to the idea of how love can change not just people we know and ourselves, but perhaps the entire world and all of humanity.
We were made to love. And we need miracles more than ever.