In this second article in the series on the "miracle" and the "mind, inches we're going to continue our discussion of spiritual specialness as someone being chosen by God to do His work without recognizing it is really the ego. In a Course in Miracles (ACIM), many link being a Course teacher of God with being miracle-minded just as we see in many made use of with chosen spiritual leaders such as a pastors, ministers and priests, etc. In the first article on spiritual specialness, we incorporated a quote by Kenneth Wapnick that, "Love is quiet and need not make assertions. inches Being someone chosen by God to do "god's work" is an assertion of the ego; and it makes the error real. It is a defense against God's Love in which we don't recognize that we're actually competing with God (and thus everyone).

Mr. Wapnick also has some wonderful airways that get straight to the point on this matter. These are taken from his two-book set on, "The Message Of a Course In Miracles" which is filled with what the Course does and does not say. These quotes speak for themselves and do not need reinterpretation:

Spiritual specialness refers to people acting out their egos' specialness, but disguising it as spiritual dress. This frequently comes in the form of believing they own received "special" instructions, "special" wedding favors, or "special" commissions from "special" divine persons such as Jesus or the Holy Spirit, all of which serves to make these people spiritually distinctive from others and therefore more "special" (Few Choose to Listen, p. 141).

What we are calling "spiritual specialness" appears in the members of almost all spiritual or faith based movements. This usually comes in the form of believing that the group or members have been singled out by God or the Holy Spirit to perform some holy function that will benefit humankind and contribute towards the saving of the world. However, such inbuilt specialness is clearly incorrect with the teachings of a Course in Miracles (Few Choose to Listen, p. 144).

Specialness is also seen in many different other designs beyond the labels just mentioned. For example, claiming who we "share the stage" with, i. e., other Course teachers is the same highlight error. We do all of this because of our enormous repressed fear and remorse; and we do it instead of learning and practicing the Course. This is a course on sameness and one that demonstrates kindness:

This inability to truly practice A program in Miracles' kind principles of forgiveness that they study, and sometimes even teach, has perhaps been the most serious failing among its students. This book's sequel, "Few Choose to Listen, inches discusses how students often disguise their thought system of specialness under the guise of spiritual counseling or friendship acim. The absence of simple kindness is, unfortunately, unmistakable for all except the Course student making the spiritual pronouncements (All Are Called, p. 306).

Finally to finish setting the stage (pun intended) for this brief article, let's bring in what Wapnick addresses on arrogance versus being humble:

"Arrogance takes the form of believing that one has "mastered" the Course by a simple reading or two, without really recognizing what is involved in its ongoing study and constant practice. Being humble, on the other hand, searches for in order to learn, which comes from students' recognition of how dependent on their egos they have truly made themselves to be. They therefore become gracious for the opportunity the Course offers them to let go : finally and truly : of their investment in uniqueness, self-importance, and specialness, the core of the problem that maintains the divorce from God" (Few Choose to Listen, p. 84, underline mine).

Being humble is of the right mind, which appreciates its dependence on God, while arrogance is of the wrong mind, which feels it is in competition with Him (Glossary-index, p. 106).

Therefore, if we will be truly miracle-minded, then we must be ready explore exactly what the ego is and what its thought system is capable of doing. The Course emphatically states that nothing can remain hidden. We must be ready get our hands dirty with the ego if we are to learn true forgiveness since specialness in different form ties in so directly with maintaining the divorce from God.

Teacher of God

Specialness is clearly arrogance and being in competition with God, so a teacher of God has nothing to do with being a Course teacher even though many students believe otherwise. Looking at our arrogance in making this kind of assertion, we turn back to being humble to educate us so we can study on it:

Being humble, on the other hand, would have students recognize that A program in Miracles is "unlike" any other spirituality they have seen, and therefore what is required of them is the openness to being taught by "it, inches rather than "their" unconscious teaching the Course what it is saying (Few Choose to Listen, p. 86, underline mine).

In ACIM, a teacher of God is simply anyone who makes a decision the Course as their path. That's it! There's no arrogance, no judgment and thus no one takes a different approach or special. We are the same in ego wrong mind, the same in Holy Spirit right-mind and the same capacity choose between them. Equals have peace from choosing miracle-mindedness or the right-miracle-mind in which His Vision sees sameness in everyone.

Unhealed Healers

In the Course, the definition of an "unhealed healer" is someone trying to give what he's got not received. In other words, this states the fine line between the humbleness of learning and arrogantly teaching what we have no idea. Remember, a sophisticated teacher of God is very really down to God and has resolved the "authority issue. inches This person knows that God is the author of their existence and never gets confused. Very few have this advanced stage.

Unhealed healers are, "Arrogant, selfish, unconcerned and actually deceitful (P-3. II. 3). inches Through specialness, they making the effort to invent a function, i. e., a chosen Course teacher of God (for example) when they cannot even accept the function God gave them (and have no concept what that really means either). By believing in their invented function, they suspect those they are attempting to falsely teach of the same treachery : betrayal of God : that they mindlessly feel they've done. Thus, they end up assaulted young people and teaching (and so will learn) the ego's forgiveness-to-destroy.

Contrast that with how simple the Course is: Our only function in the dream does work forgiveness (correcting the mind). By no means is it easy; but it is enough to offer the determination to learn it : a little and then a lot of determination.

The Course is individual study and practice; and while messages come through forms, the "form" of the Course is sufficient. We are to only look with the Holy Spirit as our guide in finding out "know ourselves" and thus eventually resolve the authority issue (author individuals existence) by undoing the ego which slides open us from dependence on it. Eventually, we realize how "freeing" it actually is to be dependent on God and what a huge burden specialness has really been:

This product offers a very direct and a very simple learning situation, and provides the Guide Who informs you what to do. If you do it, you will see that it works. Its results are more convincing than its words. They will tell you that the words are true. By following the right Guide, you will learn the simplest of all lessons: By their fruits ye should know them, and they should know themselves (T-9. V. 9).

Again, we must remember than no one decreases this path of unkindness, spiritual specialness or being one of the chosen ones unless they are so overwhelmed with repressed remorse and fear and must project out the remorse onto others as their disciples, young people or those they are "guided" by the ego god to help. The chosen ones as unhealed healers making the effort to do what they cannot even do for themselves. They have not yet worked with the Course long enough to understand experientially that:

There is no life outside of Heaven. Outside of Heaven, only the conflict of illusions stands... perceived as an eternal barrier to Heaven. Illusions are but forms.