The sweet return to innocence.

Have you ever looked into a baby’s eyes and thought : wow, you are so innocent.

It’s almost impossible not to smile. Something in us relaxes. We remember.

That soft openness in a baby reminds us of who we really are before we learned to worry about taxes, wrinkles, and whether people like our posts.

And yet, somewhere along the way, we started defending ourselves, as if that shining innocence had to be protected by a lawyer. We even say, “I’m not guilty!” when no one asked. The ego loves a courtroom drama.

A Course in Miracles says, “Innocence is strength, and nothing else is strong.” (T-23)

But look around: most of us confuse innocence with weakness. We think it’s naïve, or childish, or not “streetwise.”

When we feel touched by a child’s suffering, or outraged by an old person being mistreated, it’s not only compassion, it’s recognition. We see our own lost innocence reflected back, crying for us to remember.

That’s “The war against yourself” the Course talks about in chapter 23.

We fight against what we most love…our own sinlessness, and then wonder why we’re tired.

So how do we come home to innocence again?

First, we must stop fighting.

It sounds simple, but we just have fo try not arguing with the voice in our head for one minute. That’s spiritual boot camp right there.

Second, we start looking at the world the way Love looks. When we see a mistake, we don’t reach for judgment; we reach for understanding. As the Course says, “He walks in peace who travels sinlessly along the way love shows him.”

And third…this one’s my favorite…we laugh. Because innocence has a wonderful sense of humor. It doesn’t take the dream too seriously. Eckhart Tolle once said that awakening is really the end of taking your thoughts seriously. Rupert Spira would add: when you stop identifying with the story, you return to your natural state…peaceful, open, untouched.

Think of innocence like sunlight: it doesn’t choose where to shine, it just does. When we forgive, we let that sunlight back in. We stop policing who deserves our love, and everything starts looking… surprisingly holy !!

A Course in Miracles says, “Nothing around you but is part of you. Look on it lovingly, and see the light of Heaven in it.”

That’s not poetic fluff, it’s a practice. Let’s try it today: look at someone you normally avoid, maybe even that collegue who always complains, and silently say, “You’re innocent too.”

“You might be shocked, you’ll start to feel lighter. Because you can’t give innocence without remembering your own.”

So, the next time we feel small or defensive, let’s not rush to prove our case. Let’s take a breath, smile a little, and whisper, “I rest my case.”

Our innocence was never on trial anyway.

Hè hè … finally home.

With love and light,

G.