Lesson 91: Miracles are seen in light.
Anyone who knows me, or reads my Facebook page for a minute or two, knows that I am no fan of the current resident of the White House. I think he has been a disaster for this country.
However, early on in the coronavirus crisis he said something that caught my attention. During a press conference on Feb. 28, 2020, he said of the virus: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
He was rightly admonished for such a comment, not because what he said is untrue – a miracle could indeed make the virus disappear – but because of his obviously selfish intention for the remark. What he was engaging in is what A Course in Miracles calls “magic,” because he wished for something to happen on a bodily level so that he, personally, would not be harmed by the pandemic in the form of losing an election or seeing his popularity dip.
But, on one level, he was right. This pandemic or anything that causes suffering on this earth can, like a miracle, disappear. We can’t get there with wishful thinking, though, because that just betrays the fact that our faith is still in the ego and the systems we have created by joining our egos.
Miracles, today’s lesson tells us, are only seen in light. The president’s remarks were “magical thinking” because they were made in darkness – from a place of little “s” self-interest.
When we close our egoic eyes, however, and stop thinking about the ego’s greed and need, and instead see the world through the eyes of our unity and not our separation, then, yes, all suffering in this world will disappear, because miracles will happen. Will the virus vanish? Maybe not, but something else will occur to mitigate its spread or minimize the suffering or perhaps a vaccine or cure will be found.
There are plenty of people working on way to make this virus disappear and they are working from a place of light – a place that seeks to end the suffering for everyone, not just for a select few or for selfish, egoic reasons.
Everything we do in this world is infused with the spirit in which we do it. This president talking about miracles sounds wrong to our spirit because we know his wish for an end to the pandemic springs from a self-serving need to preserve his ego at all costs. The ego will use the jargon of miracles to fool us into doubling down on our faith in it instead of putting our faith in the Divine where it belongs.
It is our belief in separation that keeps any form of suffering alive, whether the threat is physical, mental or spiritual. Those who are seeking the end of suffering, not just for their own selfish needs, but for the needs of all, are those who are working in the light of the Holy and their efforts will bring about the miracles we need in the exact moment we need them.
Some areas of the media, and even intentional disinformation campaigns, are sowing seeds of fear in our world. If our daily diet is one of consuming information from fearful outlets then we will remain in the darkness and our suffering will increase. I encourage you to limit your information intake on this virus and instead find ways to reach out to others around you. Fulfill the needs of those who can’t help themselves during this time. Find ways to connect with your family and friends, and affirm the efforts of those who are on the front line, whether they are taking care of the ill or working on ways to end this pandemic.
Yes, one day, a miracle will occur and this virus will vanish – but only if enough of us are willing to step outside of our ego’s desire for control of our selfish needs and seek ways to ensure that suffering ends for us all.
As Hafiz says, we are all companions in this life – and we must be about fulfilling each other’s needs.
Our union is like this: If you feel cold I would
reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet.
If hunger comes into your body I would run
to my garden and start digging potatoes.
If you asked for a few words of comfort and
guidance I would quickly kneel by your side
and offer you a whole book.
If you ever ache with loneliness so much you
weep, I would say,
Here is a rope, tie it around me, I will be
your companion for life.
Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash