The Name of God is my inheritance.
The Name of God is my inheritance.
You live by symbols. You have made up names for everything
you see. Each one becomes a separate entity, identified by its own name.
By this you carve it out of unity. By this you designate its special
attributes and set it off from other things by emphasizing space
surrounding it. This space you lay between all things to which you give
a different name—all happenings in terms of place and time, all bodies
which are greeted by a name.
This space you see as setting off all things from one
another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. You
see something where nothing is and see as well nothing where there is
unity—a space between all things, between all things and you. Thus do
you think that you have given life in separation. By this split you
think you are established as a unity which functions with an independent
will.
What are these names by which the world becomes a series of
discrete events, of things un-unified, of bodies kept apart and holding
bits of mind as separate awarenesses? You gave these names to them,
establishing perception as you wished to have perception be. The
nameless things were given names and thus reality was given them as
well. For what is named is given meaning and will then be seen as
meaningful, a cause of true effects with consequence inherent in itself.
This is the way reality is made by partial vision,
purposefully set against the given truth. Its enemy is wholeness. It
conceives of little things and looks upon them. And a lack of space, a
sense of unity or vision which sees differently become the threats which
it must overcome, conflict with, and deny.
Yet does this other vision still remain a natural direction
for the mind to channel its perception. It is hard to teach the mind a
thousand alien names and thousands more. Yet you believe this is what
learning means—its one essential goal by which communication is achieved
and concepts can be meaningfully shared.
This is the sum of the inheritance the world bestows. And
everyone who learns to think that it is so accepts the signs and symbols
which assert the world is real. It is for this they stand. They leave no
doubt that what is named is there. It can be seen, as is anticipated.
What denies that it is true is but illusion, for it is the ultimate
reality. To question it is madness; to accept its presence is the proof
of sanity.
Such is the teaching of the world. It is a phase of
learning everyone who comes must go through. But the sooner he perceives
on what it rests, how questionable are its premises, how doubtful its
results, the sooner does he question its effects. Learning which stops
with what the world would teach stops short of meaning. In its proper
place, it serves but as a starting point from which another kind of
learning can begin, a new perception can be gained, and all the
arbitrary names the world bestows can be withdrawn as they are raised to
doubt.
Think not you made the world. Illusions, yes! But what is
true in earth and Heaven is beyond your naming. When you call upon a
brother, it is to his body that you make appeal. His true Identity is
hidden from you by what you believe he really is. His body makes
response to what you call him, for his mind consents to take the name
you give him as his own. And thus his unity is twice denied, for you
perceive him separate from you, and he accepts this separate name as
his.
It would indeed be strange if you were asked to go beyond
all symbols of the world, forgetting them forever; yet were asked to
take a teaching function. You have need to use the symbols of the world
a while. But be you not deceived by them as well. They do not stand for
anything at all, and in your practicing, it is this thought that will
release you from them. They become but means by which you can
communicate in ways the world can understand, but which you recognize is
not the unity where true communication can be found.
Thus what you need are intervals each day in which the
learning of the world becomes a transitory phase—a prison house from
which you go into the sunlight and forget the darkness. Here you
understand the Word, the Name Which God has given you; the One Identity
Which all things share; the one acknowledgment of what is true. And then
step back to darkness, not because you think it real, but only to
proclaim its unreality in terms which still have meaning in the world
which darkness rules.
Use all the little names and symbols which delineate the
world of darkness. Yet accept them not as your reality. The Holy Spirit
uses all of them, but He does not forget Creation has One Name, One
Meaning, and a single Source Which unifies all things within Itself. Use
all the names the world bestows on them but for convenience, yet do not
forget they share the Name of God along with you.
God has no name. And yet His Name becomes the final lesson
that all things are one, and at this single lesson learning ends. All
names are unified; all space is filled with truth's reflection. Every
gap is closed and separation healed. The Name of God is the inheritance
He gave to those who chose the teaching of the world to take the place
of Heaven. In our practicing, our purpose is to let our minds accept
what He has given as the answer to the pitiful inheritance you made as
fitting tribute to the Son He loves.
No one can fail who seeks the meaning of the Name of God.
Experience must come to supplement the Word. But first you must accept
One Name for all reality, and realize the many names you gave its
aspects have distorted what you see but have not interfered with truth
at all. One Name we bring into our practicing. One Name we use to unify
our sight.
And though we use a different name for each awareness of
an aspect of God's Son, we understand that they have but One Name, Which
He has given them. It is this Name we use in practicing. And through Its
use, all foolish separations disappear which kept us blind. And we are
given strength to see beyond them. Now our sight is blessed with
blessings we can give as we receive.
*Father, our Name is Yours. In It we are united with all
living things and You Who are their One Creator. What we made and call
by many different names is but a shadow we have tried to cast across
Your Own Reality. And we are glad and thankful we were wrong. All our
mistakes we give to You, that we may be absolved of all effects our
errors seemed to have. And we accept the truth You give in place of
every one of them. Your Name is our salvation and escape from what we
made. Your Name unites us in the Oneness which is our inheritance and
peace. Amen*.