My thoughts* on Manual for Teachers (ACIM) #14 Open-Mindedness

X. Open-Mindedness

1. The centrality of open-mindedness, perhaps the last of the attributes the teacher of God acquires, is easily understood when its relation to forgiveness is recognized. ²Open-mindedness comes with lack of judgment.

* I would suggest that it also comes with a willingness to LISTEN to Father’s direction through SPIRIT within.

³As judgment shuts the mind against God’s Teacher, so open-mindedness invites Him to come in.

* God’s Teacher is SPIRIT, which is also the Voice for God.

⁴As condemnation judges the Son of God as evil, so open-mindedness permits him to be judged by the Voice for God on His behalf.

⁵As the projection of guilt upon him would send him to hell, so open-mindedness lets Christ’s image be extended to him.

* This reminds me of a mirror. I strongly suggest, however, that it is impossible to see CHRIST without seeing FATHER, the One Original and Universal Creator of All That Is or Ever Could Be.

⁶Only the open-minded can be at peace, for they alone see reason for it.

* That is an interesting way to put it. It makes a lot of sense though. The peace comes in realizing that GOD is the decider and maker of all that is so one can rest in the witness of the inspiration of SPIRIT.

2. How do the open-minded forgive?

²They have let go all things that would prevent forgiveness.

* They understand that ONLY GOD IS AND EVER COULD BE OR

THEY COULD NOT BE GOD.

* They want God to be real more than want to claim their own existence.

³They have in truth abandoned the world, and let it be restored to them in newness and in joy so glorious they could never have conceived of such a change.

* They have let go of the stories that are wrapped around separation and struggle. Even as they get to experience them within the sphere of form.

⁴Nothing is now as it was formerly.

⁵Nothing but sparkles now which seemed so dull and lifeless before.

⁶And above all are all things welcoming, for threat is gone.

⁷No clouds remain to hide the face of Christ.

⁸Now is the goal achieved.

⁹Forgiveness is the final goal of the curriculum.

* Hear this and yet, do not think forgiveness is the end of the journey ONLY because your brothers are not all WITH you on the same page.

¹⁰It paves the way for what goes far beyond all learning.

* I suspect that it is Love that is spoken of here.

¹¹The curriculum makes no effort to exceed its legitimate goal.

¹²Forgiveness is its single aim, at which all learning ultimately converges.

¹³It is indeed enough.

* Nope. Something is missing here. Either a thought was withheld in scribing or it was misunderstood. What I am saying is do not take these words to mean what it seems that they do — as if all our work is done once we hit the magic level of being able to forgive.

* What this could mean is that the breakthrough has occurred that prevents God’s Love from being manifested in our lives! And THAT is HUGE! Once that occurs, we are enter Heaven and Eternal Life because we are willing to be Guided by our Father “which art in Heaven.”

3. You may have noticed that the list of attributes of God’s teachers does not include things that are the Son of God’s inheritance.

²Terms like love, sinlessness, perfection, knowledge and eternal truth do not appear in this context.

³They would be most inappropriate here.

⁴What God has given is so far beyond our curriculum that learning but disappears in its presence.

⁵Yet while its presence is obscured, the focus properly belongs on the curriculum.

* This is how do we loosen up our attachment to suffering and vengeance so that we can allow God’s Presence to not be repelled in our own minds.

⁶It is the function of God’s teachers to bring true learning to the world.

⁷Properly speaking it is unlearning that they bring, for that is “true learning” in the world.

* YES.

⁸It is given to the teachers of God to bring the glad tidings of complete forgiveness to the world.

* Note the word “complete.” NO ONE and NO SITUATION can be left out of the fabrication of your understanding of forgiveness, or you have not come to it yet. ONLY that allows the witness of God’s Eternal Presence in the Mind of the Son.

* Which is the gateway to allowing God’s Love and Light to flow into your mind, life, and very being.

⁹Blessed indeed are they, for they are the bringers of salvation.

* And this is HOW they draw its awareness to themselves.

(ACIM, M-4.X.1:1–3:9)

Free pexel photo: If we cannot be accepting of body forms as beautiful creations of Father in Heaven (yes, God is a part of this even though the Son made them initially to defy God and call himself separate) how then and we say we are OPEN to direction from Father where the ideas prompted by HIM may cause us to be fearful about how things will look?

Take the immigration issue for instance. And deportation, specifically. I too, feel for those caught up in the initial shuffle but think about this. Not that long ago we had 4 TV stations in the USA. Then an adventurous TV personality decided to make her own network.

She had her own ideas and fears about what things might look like if she acted on what she really felt prompted to do. She even had to struggle a bit to set things up in her favor once she made the move but her courage to act is why today there is no limit to what we may see and learn and choose to engage with.

It has opened the human experience to more expansive global thinking and awarenesses. It has even exposed how much the media moved the emotional, not to mention political environments that affected our day to day lives.

There is no doubt that once the boundaries are established and secure on the country, that the “topical results in form” will alter, very likely in ways that we have not thought of yet.

I am not saying I have answers to the overall picture or the local one. However, listening to SPIRIT, respecting individual integrity, and dignity, using 100% compassionate support WITHIN even when form appears otherwise is always a good guideline.

These were some thoughts that SPIRIT said when I woke with this situation on my heart and mind. Blessings and prosperity to us all, debi.

To Father be ALL Glory and Praise Given AS His Son, debi.

My comments are based on what I understand on the 25th of January 2025.