Bringing conviction a little nearer
February 09, 2007
Recently in our Workbook class, we did Lesson 38, "There is nothing my holiness cannot do." This amazing lesson says that our holiness can do literally anything. It "reverses all the laws of the world. It is beyond every restriction of time, space, distance and limits of any kind" (1:1-2). It "can remove all pain, can end all sorrow, and can solve all problems. It can do so in connection with yourself and with anyone else. It is equal in its power to help anyone because it is equal in its power to save anyone" (2:4-6). Our holiness can do all the things Jesus was said to have done: It can literally give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, enable the lame to walk again, heal the sick, and even raise the dead.
The lesson's practice has us declare that in any difficult situation we or another person is experiencing, there is nothing our holiness cannot do. As we were discussing the practice, the following issue came up: Our daily experience shows that what we can actually do is very limited, so repeating "there is nothing my holiness cannot do" seems kind of phony. We don't really believe it, so what's the point of repeating it?
It's a good question. Obviously, none of us (at least no one I've met) currently has the kind of abilities this lesson says are available to us. It can feel absurd to repeat this, knowing how limited we currently seem to be. But the fact that there is such a gap between our current abilities and what this lesson says our holiness can do is exactly why we need to do the practice. The very purpose of repeating this idea to close the gap between our belief and our actual power. It is the means to the goal of truly believing in and thus unleashing the power of our holiness, so it wouldn't make any sense to require such belief before doing the practice. That would be like requiring someone to complete a marathon before beginning training for the marathon.
Lesson 27 addresses the issue of repeating an idea that seems to be beyond our current level of development. The lesson is "Above all else I want to see," and at one point it speaks to our objection that our repetition of the idea is insincere because it isn't really true that we want to see "above all else." It answers this objection with these words:
You may feel hesitant about using the idea, on the grounds that you are not sure you really mean it. This does not matter. The purpose of today's exercises is to bring the time when the idea will be wholly true a little nearer. (W-pI.27.1:3-5)
We have essentially the same situation with "There is nothing my holiness cannot do." The lesson tells us that "the purpose of today's exercises is to begin to instill in you a sense that you have dominion over all things because of what you are" (5:5). Notice that it says "begin to instill in you." We don't yet believe that we have dominion over all things because of what we are, but repeating "There is nothing my holiness cannot do" is a beginning. So, let's do those repetitions without worrying about whether we believe it or whether we mean it. Each repetition will bring conviction a little nearer, until the day when total conviction will be ours.
Return to top | Send Reader Feedback | View Reader Feedback | Printer friendly version
Dear friend: We offer the materials on this website to you in the hope that they can serve you well on your journey home. Your continuing donations support the work of the Circle of Atonement. Thank you.
Click here to make a Donation.
This material is copyrighted by the Circle of Atonement, P.O. Box 4238, W. Sedona, AZ 86340. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed are the personal interpretation and understanding of the author(s).
Please report problems to the webmaster.
