Trading in the Word Christ for the Word Spirit
Ah, words. Consciousness is just the play of symbols, and words are symbols of symbols. But, oh, what strong ideas and emotions words can evoke, and how hard those can be to overcome!
For me, the word
Christ evokes experiences of an Eternal Light in my mind, which springs
from Reality (God) beyond consciousness.
The sign of
Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but
shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has
come. (T-15.XI.2)
I want my
clients and readers to know that the Light that was in Jesus’ mind is also in
theirs.
Is he the
Christ? O yes, along with you. (C-5.5)
But alas, in
teaching I have been frustrated in efforts to separate the word Christ
from the man Jesus for them. For example, when speaking with a client or writing
an article, I may say, “Christ blah blah blah…” and later a client or reader
will refer to what I said as, “You said Jesus blah blah blah…”
Sigh. “Uhhh,
no. I said Christ, not Jesus—they are not the same thing. I’m
referring to Something in you, not a man who lived two thousand years
ago...”
So, after over twenty years of teaching, I
give up. The word Christ and the man Jesus seem locked together forever.
The funny thing
is, in A Course in Miracles it says Jesus is the manifestation of the Holy
Spirit (C-6.1), not of Christ. But if after five decades the Course
cannot overcome hundreds of years of the term Jesus Christ, I certainly
can’t.
Although this
newsletter is called, The Christ in You, I have come to prefer the world
Spirit over the word Christ. While Christ and Spirit are source
and extension, they are basically the same thing:
Home of the Holy Spirit, and at home in God
alone, does Christ remain at peace within the Heaven of your holy mind. (W-pII.6.3)
The Holy Spirit reaches from the Christ in
you to all your dreams, and bids them come to Him, to be translated into truth.
(W-pII.6.4)
The Holy Spirit is the Christ Mind which is
aware of the knowledge that lies beyond perception. (T-5.I.5)
But while the
same, of course the word Spirit does not evoke a very specific person as
does the word Christ for so many. And this brings me to another reason
I’ve come to prefer the word Spirit. While Christ evokes a
concrete, material image of a man, Spirit, by definition, refers to
something abstract, nebulous, ethereal. So, the word Spirit is apt for
the experience of Reality’s (God’s) extension into consciousness, which is pure
experience and unrelatable because there is no image or definable experience to
which to point and say, “That’s Spirit.” It is far easier to understand
that the word Spirit refers to the experience of existence that reflects
the Formless, Eternal, Infinite, and Immortal than a word (Christ) that has
become synonymous with a man.
Notice I have
shortened Holy Spirit to Spirit, which also causes some confusion.
(“What’s the difference between Spirit and Holy Spirit?” Sigh.) I did it
initially simply for ease in speaking and writing. But I’ve also found Spirit
is less charged than Holy Spirit for clients and readers who come from a
Christian background, particularly former Catholics. So, yet another reason I have
come to like the word Spirit is its flexibility. Holy Spirit or
just Spirit. But also, Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Spirit
of Love, Spirit of Peace…So, not such a loss to give up the word Christ
with its rigid connotation after all!
The Divine
would also be synonymous with Christ and Spirit, but for the
reasons I’ve given, and because it is not used in the Course, I’ll stick
with Spirit.
If you have a question the answer to which you
feel may be helpful to others, send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate
that you want it answered in this newsletter/blog.
Comments
when i began to experience greater mind opening, miracle mindedness, through consistent forgiving, the term Christ began to naturally loose Its rigid association. i began to experience Christ as a Presence of golden Light within that i experienced within everyone.
i am grateful for your use of the term Christ over the years, for it has helped to validate what i am experiencing as a result of bringing the Course teachings into active practice.
i think the key to understanding these tricky terms arises from using the study to support practice. They can be only understood from actual experience. There is a degree of trust that is needed. These confusions will clear up on their own when the teaching begins to be fully lived.
and thank you ever also liz, for the heads up on the interview. yippee!
Chapter 20
What a journey!
If this is a time of change then let it be that. Forgive the Course and move on.
"Holy Spirit", as It is referred to in the Course, implies an opposite, and therefore, according to the Course, is not all-encompassing. According to the teaching; Love has no opposite, and Truth has no opposite.
"God has no Name", lesson 184 states. Ultimately even the Name of God has to be let go, but for now, being compelled still to use words at this point, using words which are all-encompassing in discussing the Trinity, is consistent with the teaching of the truth teaching. Words which are controversial and appear in forms that can be said to have opposites are inconsistent with the truth teaching, according to the truth teaching, and therefore impossible of the universal experience. The Atonement is the correction of misperception, according to the Workbook. True perception is its aim, and its accomplishment calls for totality; there can be no exceptions or opposites.