Corresponding Text Section
Chapter 26: Divine Justice
3. Perception’s Fundamental Law
To the extent guilt is valued, a world will be perceived in which attack seems to be justified. To the extent that guilt is recognized as meaningless, it will be understood that attack cannot be justified. This is in strict accord with perception’s fundamental law:
You perceive what you believe is there, and you believe it there because you want it there.
Perception has no other law than this. The rest of perception’s attributes merely stem from this, to hold it up and offer it support. This law is perception’s form, adapted to this world, of the Divine’s more basic Law:
Love creates Itself, and nothing except Itself.
The Divine’s Laws do not apply directly to a world perception rules, for such a world could not have been created by the Mind to which perception has no meaning. Yet are Its Laws reflected everywhere. Not that the world of illusions where this reflection is is real. But because some of Its Children temporarily believe this world is real, the Divine could not let Itself be separate entirely from this world. It could not enter Its Children’s insanity with them, for otherwise Creation would have ceased to be. But It could be sure Its Sanity went there with them, so that they would not be lost forever in the madness of their wishes.
Perception rests on choice; Knowledge does not. Knowledge has only one Law because it has only One Creator. But this world has two makers, and they do not perceive it as the same. To each of these two the world has a different purpose, and to each it is a perfect means to serve the goal for which it is perceived. For specialness the world is the perfect frame to set specialness off, the perfect battleground to wage its wars, the perfect shelter for the illusions that it would make real. Every one of them it upholds in its perception. Every one of them it can fully justify to itself.
There is another Maker of the world of perception, the simultaneous Corrector of the mad belief that anything could be established and maintained without some Link that kept it still within the Laws of the Divine, not as the Law Itself upholds the Universe as the Divine created It, but in some form adapted to the need the separated ones believe they have. Corrected error is the error’s end. And thus has the Divine still protected Its Children, even in error. There is another Purpose in the world that error made, because the world has another Maker, Who can reconcile the world’s goal with the Creator’s Purpose.
In this Maker’s new Perception of the world, everything is seen as justifying forgiveness and the sight of perfect Innocence. Everything that arises is met with instant and complete forgiveness. Nothing remains even an instant that would obscure the Innocence that shines unchanged beyond the pitiful attempts of specialness to put Innocence out of mind – for it is in mind that It must be – and “light” the body up instead of allowing Innocence to light the mind. The Lamps of Heaven are not for specialness to choose to look upon where it will, because They cannot be looked upon. If your mind elects to perceive Them elsewhere from Their Home in your mind, where they are, then must the true Maker of the world correct your error, lest you still remain in darkness where Heaven’s Lamps are not seen.
Everyone who believes themself to be in this world has entered self-made darkness, yet no one has entered it alone. Nor need anyone stay more than an instant in darkness, which in Light of Truth can never be. For they have come with Heaven’s Help within them, ready to lead them out of darkness into Light at any time. The time they choose can be any time, for Help is there awaiting only their choice. And when they choose to avail themselves of what is given them, then will they see each situation turned to an event that justifies their Love, that they thought before was means to justify their judgment and anger. They will hear plainly that the calls to battle that they heard before are really calls for Peace. They will perceive that where they gave attack before is just another Altar where they now can bestow forgiveness, with equal ease, and with Happiness in place of misery. And they will reinterpret all temptation to mis-project as just another chance to bring them Joy.
How can a misperception be an unforgivable error? Let all your sisters and brothers’ mistakes be to you nothing except a chance for you to see the Workings of the Helper given you to see the world the Divine created – the Real World – instead of the one you made.
What, then, is justified? What do you want? For these two questions are the same, and when you see them as the same then your choice is made. For it is seeing them as one that brings release from the belief that there are two ways to perceive.
This world has much to offer to your Peace, and many chances to extend your own forgiveness. Such its Purpose is to those who want to see forgiveness and Peace envelop them and offer them the Light. The Maker of the world of Gentleness has perfect Power to offset the world of violence and hate that seems to stand between you and Its Gentleness. The world of violence is not there in Its forgiving Eyes, and therefore it need not be there in yours.
Sin is the fixed belief that perception cannot change, that what sin has attempted to damn has been damned, and damned forever, being forever unforgivable. If what sin has attempted to damn is forgiven, then the perception of sin must have been wrong. And thus is change made possible.
The Holy Spirit, too, sees what It sees as being far beyond the chance of change. But into Its Vision the belief in sin – irredeemable flaw, unholiness, and unworthiness – cannot encroach. For the belief in sin has been corrected by Its Sight. And thus it must have been merely an error, not a sin. For forgiveness, which damnation claimed could never be, is. The thought of sin is attacked by punishment, and so preserved. But to forgive it is to change sin’s state to error, which is all it ever could have been in Truth.
The Children of the Divine could never sin, or be flawed, unholy or unworthy, but they can in error wish for what would hurt them. And they have the power to think that they can be hurt. What could this be except a misperception of themselves? Is this a mistake or a sin, forgivable or not, justifying help or condemnation? Is it your purpose that your sisters and brothers be awakened from their dreams, or condemned for them, remembering that what they are to you will make this choice your future? For you make this choice now, the instant when all time becomes a means to reach a goal. Make, then, your choice, but recognize that, in this choice, the purpose of the world you perceive is chosen, and will be justified.
