By Gonny 
Introduction:
Imagine trying to share a message of profound peace and freedom without using words like “God,” “Jesus,” or “Angels.” What would that look like? Could we still keep the core message while releasing words that may carry personal associations? This article is an invitation to revisit ACIM – A Course in Miracles – through fresh eyes. Not through traditional symbolism, but by embracing its essence.
The Core of ACIM
Let’s start with the essence: ACIM speaks of a deeper truth within us, a consciousness that goes beyond our everyday experience. The Course teaches us that our true “Self” is pure, free from fear, and that our experiences here reflect what we hold in our minds.
A Dream of Love and Fear
Instead of talking about “the Son of God” who “fell asleep,” we might say that a part of our consciousness once thought it was separate from unity, and thus began experiencing a world of duality – a world of both love and fear.
The core message of ACIM is that we can always choose which of these experiences we want to follow: the path of love or the path of fear. What if we described this choice as an “inner compass” guiding us back to peace, rather than a holy power outside of us?
The Light and the Shadow
Rather than seeing God as something outside ourselves, we can speak of an “original consciousness” that is always present within. This isn’t an entity with a face or voice but more a silent presence that is always there – a deep knowing. The “Holy Spirit” can then be described as the part of our mind gently reminding us of this source, an inner knowing that points us back to our true nature.
Liberation Through Inner Vision
What ACIM actually offers us is a way to awaken from the dream of separation. We’re not victims of the world but participants in a collective experience. Through “forgiveness” – or more accurately, through insight – we can see through the illusion and feel our connection to the universal source again. Forgiveness is not a religious concept but a way to free the inner image of others, and ourselves, from the stories we’ve attached to it.
Insights for a Broader Audience
With all this in mind, we can explain ACIM without symbolic language, by, for example:
1. Describing God as a “source of unity.”
2. Viewing Jesus as the “insight” that guides us back to truth.
3. Translating the Holy Spirit as an “inner knowing” that reminds us of our connection.
4. Understanding forgiveness not as a judgmental process but as a release of the illusions we’ve projected onto others and ourselves.
Conclusion: The Peace of Universal Truth
By focusing on the core message rather than symbols, we can make ACIM accessible to those who prefer not to hear religious terms. It’s an invitation to align our inner compass with love, to remember the joy of unity, and to awaken from the dream of separation – without feeling bound to words or names. Ultimately, it’s about what resonates in our hearts and how we find that inner peace, regardless of the symbols we use.