Today, I choose to be free

“Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.” –Samuel Beckett

My friends Jay and Jessica were visiting family in little Scammon, Kansas (pop. 452). Jay wanted to show his kids, who were five at the time, the Catholic church where he’d sung in the choir, taken communion every Sunday. Almost immediately, upon walking inside the sanctuary, the kids began cowering behind their parents.

“What are they doing to that man? Why are they hurting him?” the kids were aghast at the lurid images portrayed in the Stations of the Cross.

It’s ironic. We have a rating system for movies. We go to great lengths to shield our children from horrific news and ill-timed tragedy. Yet, we proudly dress them up and take them to church where gruesome images are the norm. Eventually, we become desensitized and assume that’s just the way it is, the best we can expect.

That’s why ACIM Lesson 104 reminds us yet again that joy and peace are why we’re here. Happiness is our function. It’s so radical that we need lots of reminders. That’s why we’re asked to remember this as often as we can today.

In case you hadn’t heard, you are a giant love generator.  When you were born, you radiated a clear energy of light and incomparable joy.

When this unconditional love energy runs up again the unhealed places in our culture, those places where distrust has developed or joy has been rejected, it bounces back, giving us an unfamiliar reading. As our boundless joy hits these rigid beliefs and “thickened” emotions, we quickly learn to match our culture’s energies, beliefs, and thoughts.

We learn to pinch off our gorgeous, clear love energy, allowing it to flow where we’re trained it can flow, resigning ourselves to paralysis in other areas. Little by little, we learn the “correct” energetic-frequency rules, only allowing a small percentage of who we really are to radiate.

The rules we pick up here on Planet Earth revolve around the following themes: Stop. Don’t. Be Careful.

So, in the Course, we’re learning just the opposite:

Go for it.
Of course, you can.
Throw caution to the wind.

So once again, my friends, we’re encouraged to choose joy, to spread love and to celebrate our common humanity.

And in the interest of choosing again (certain governments are currently using the old story of separation and limitations to justify targeted strikes), let’s remember that love is the only power that can ever end conflict. Let’s join together as spiritual peacemakers and use our love radar to join hands and proclaim peace. Let’s focus on the power of love and know, in our hearts, we are all one.

This video is my response to current headlines:

Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her new book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.