What does Holy relationship mean in A Course in Miracles?
The concept of a Holy relationship, as taught by Jesus in A Course in Miracles, is a profound and transformative idea that challenges our conventional understanding of relationships. It offers a new perspective on how we can experience love, healing, and spiritual growth through our interactions with others.
In A Course in Miracles, Jesus teaches that a Holy relationship is a relationship that is based on the principles of forgiveness, love, and the recognition of our shared divinity. It is a relationship that transcends the ego's need for specialness, control, and attachment. Instead, it is a relationship guided by the Holy Spirit, the divine Presence within us, that leads us to the truth.
The Course teaches that our relationships are opportunities for healing and awakening. It recognizes that our interactions with others often trigger our deepest fears, wounds, and unresolved issues. These triggers can lead to conflict, resentment, and a sense of separation. However, Jesus teaches that these triggers are not meant to perpetuate suffering but to bring our unconscious beliefs and patterns to the surface to heal them. In a Holy relationship, we are invited to bring our fears and grievances to the Holy Spirit for healing. We are asked to let go of our judgments, grievances, and attachments and choose forgiveness and love instead. This does not mean we condone harmful behavior or become passive in the face of injustice. Rather, it means that we recognize the inherent worth and divinity in ourselves and others, and we choose to see beyond the ego's perception of separation and attack to arrive at a way of experiencing the world that is loving and holistic.
Seeing the spiritual light in others no longer comes naturally to us, as we have become deeply entranced within our belief in a world of opposites: good and bad, life and death, love and hate. The conflicting ideas inherent in duality create cognitive dissonance in the mind. An intense psychological discomfort is experienced when the mind attempts to hold contradictory beliefs and values or when confronted with new information that conflicts with existing beliefs. This tension and stress lead us to project onto others the side of any dichotomy we don't want to associate with, making us judgmental and defensive. To see ourselves as good, we must see others as bad, causing a baseline state of fear and defensiveness. This habit of projecting what we don't like causes confusion and fear in relationships over time. When we agree with someone, those who are "wrong" are outside the relationship, making us feel safe. However, when we disagree, the other person is seen as "wrong," leading to a sense of separation or lack of love. This uncertainty in the relationship causes a lack of trust as we fluctuate between feeling safe and loved, and unsafe and unloved. We then use these experiences to reinforce our underlying belief in separation and duality rather than questioning the original mistake in the mind.
A Holy relationship is a commitment to healing and awakening. It is a partnership with God in which individuals support each other's spiritual growth and transformation. It is a way of being in relationship with others that is based on honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to look at our own shadows. And to see past the shadow in others to the light and love within them. It is a relationship that invites us to let go of our masks and defenses and truly see and be seen.
In a Holy relationship, we learn to communicate from a place of love and understanding. We learn to listen deeply to each other's needs and concerns and seek to find common ground and shared purpose. We recognize that our differences are opportunities for growth and learning rather than sources of conflict and division.
The Course teaches that a Holy relationship is not limited to romantic partnerships. It can be experienced in any relationship, whether with a friend, family member, coworker, or even a stranger. It is a way of relating to others guided by the principles of forgiveness, love, and the recognition of our shared divinity.
Ultimately, the concept of a Holy relationship teaches us that our relationships are not meant to fulfill our ego's desires for specialness, validation, and security. Instead, they are meant to be vehicles for awakening and healing our minds and remembering the indivisible wholeness and equality of the Sonship of God. They are opportunities for us to remember our true nature as spiritual beings. And to extend the innate love within us through forgiving ourselves and others our misperception of the world and our relationship to God and one another.
In conclusion, the concept of a Holy relationship, as taught by Jesus in A Course in Miracles, offers a profound and transformative understanding of how we can experience love, healing, and spiritual growth through our relationships. It invites us to let go of our ego's attachments and judgments and to choose forgiveness, love, and the recognition of our shared divinity. It is a path of awakening and transformation that can lead us to a deeper sense of peace, joy, and fulfillment in our relationships and in our lives.What is a Holy relationship?
A new ACIM class starts April 10, Learning Holy Relationship.