LESSON 27. Above all else I want to see.
In this lesson, Jesus tells us that the idea for the day “expresses something stronger than mere determination. It gives vision priority among your desires.” This is why it is such a powerful practice to remind yourself throughout the day that you want to see. To want to see is to want Truth more than anything else. What desires might block my sight? Well, all of them. For example, my desire to be treated with respect, to be heard when I speak or to be seen as knowledgeable are all desires that reinforce the idea of myself as a separate individual with needs that come from the perspective of the individual.
The lesson states that “There may be a great temptation to believe that some sort of sacrifice is being asked of you when you say you want to see above all else.” To assume that I have needs that come before the truth is to assume that I am somehow lacking. It is this “threat” that entails a sense of sacrifice when we are called upon to affirm and reaffirm our true desire. You mean I should want to see more than I want to be loved? More than I want to be safe? More than I want ….?
Jesus also warns: “You may feel hesitant about using the idea, on the grounds that you are not sure you really mean it.” It is the belief that we must set about protecting ourselves lest we be alone, unloved and unsafe that might make us question our honesty as we repeat today’s lesson. What is actually required is the willingness to remember that our habitual patterns of casting attention have not brought us the happiness, safety, security and peace of mind they seem to promise. This lesson is asking us to loosen our allegiance to those old ways of being and focus on our true desire. It is asking us to take a break from believing our interpretations – to step out of the loop of “What I think I see, what I see I experience, what I experience I think.” NTI Luke 6 advises:
When you notice that you have an interpretation, take a break from what you see. Seek quiet time with Me, and share your interpretation with Me. Do not share your interpretation as if you must be right, expecting Me to support you and lead you to the righteousness of your way. Share your interpretation expecting that you are wrong, because you have seen and believed without knowledge. In such humility, you can let go of your interpretation; you will see that it is nothing of value to you. And what you receive in its place you will extend, and that which you share shall be peace and restfulness.
This peace and restfulness is the result of your desire to see above all else. This lesson seems to require faith that the truth is true: I am safe, I am loved, I cannot suffer. Your true desire IS the faith required to do the lesson. As the Holy Spirit tells us in Luke 6, “To listen to Me and practice what I say is to find true peace that cannot be shaken, because it is knowledge.” And (skipping ahead to NTI Luke 7), “As you seek, you shall find. You cannot fail to find that which you seek in honesty of faith.”
Our true desire is the desire to move beyond the self-protective mode to which we have become habituated. I am reminded of the scene from “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” where Saint Claire pleads with Saint Francis to let her join his group and tells him “I’m not seeking to be understood anymore, I want to understand. I’m not asking to be loved, I want to love. Where there is sadness, please, please help me find joy.” It is this re-prioritization of desires which this lesson asks of us. We trade the desire to be satisfied as the person for the desire to step into the Truth. As we continue in our practice, we each will come to recognize this as our true desire and the only source of lasting peace and joy.
Here is the scene from Brother Sun, Sister Moon if you would like to watch it.
