By Karen Van Allen
“Stay safe” has replaced “Have a nice day.” I hear these words, pass them along, and wanted to understand what they meant. It then became the topic of discussion at a recent study group meeting for A Course in Miracles. We discovered that there are two aspects to the concept of safety—form and content. (T-28.VII.4.)
Form is on the level of the body, and this is where the ego wants us to solve our problems. How do we live in a world that is focused on fear and feel safe? Form shows up as wearing a seatbelt, putting on a mask, locking our doors, or doing something else that we think will protect us. We hope to mitigate risk by obeying the rules. This is similar to trying to control the world around us.
The two opposing emotions, fear or love, represent content. You can use any two words in place of fear or love, e.g., illusions or truth, ego or Holy Spirit. When I am coming from fear, the world is a scary place. People might attack me, steal something, or cough and spread germs. I have to be vigilant and on guard. When I am grounded in love, I choose to see the Christ in everyone. We are all part of the One. I bless the people in my life instead of judging them.
A Course in Miracles, Lesson 47, says, “God is your safety in every circumstance. His Voice speaks for Him in all situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling you exactly what to do to call upon His strength and His protection.” Now I can reconcile the two concepts of form and content. I call on my Higher Self and listen to my inner voice for guidance, and it will tell me what I need to do to stay safe on the level of form.
A Course in Miracles study group meets virtually on Monday nights from 6:30-8:00 pm. New and continuing students welcome. Contact me for Zoom details.