Corresponding Manual for Teachers Section
Chapter 3: How Is Healing Accomplished?
7. What Is the Role of Words in Healing?
Strictly speaking, words play no part at all in healing. The motivating factor is attuning through prayer. What you invite or request when attuned to the Divine, you receive. This refers to the prayer of the heart, not to the words used in praying. Sometimes the words and the prayer are contradictory, and sometimes they agree. It does not matter. The Divine does not recognize the words used, for they were made by separated minds to keep them in the illusion of separation. Words can be helpful, particularly at the beginning of one’s journey of awakening, in helping concentration and facilitating the exclusion, or at least the control, of extraneous thoughts. Let us remember, however, that words are merely symbols of things, which are themselves at most only symbols of Reality. Words are thus at least twice removed from Reality.
As symbols, words have quite specific references. Even when they seem most abstract, the picture that comes to mind is apt to be very concrete. Unless a specific referent does occur to the mind in conjunction with a word invoked for healing purposes, the word has little or no practical value in helping the mind’s true healing process because it will not have reached through the symbolic layers to touch the heart.
The prayer of the heart does not really ask for concrete things. In essence it always requests or invites some kind of experience, the specific things asked for being the bringers of the desired experience in the estimation of the asker. The words, then, are symbols for the things asked for, but the things themselves merely stand for the experiences that are hoped for. The prayer for things of this world will bring experiences of this world. If the prayer of the heart asks for this, this will be received and subsequently given to others.
It is impossible that the prayer of the heart remain unanswered in the perception of the one who asks. If they ask for the impossible, if they want what does not exist, or if they seek for illusions in their heart, all this becomes their own in their experience. The power of their decision offers it to them as they request. Herein are the paths made to the illusions of nightmares as well as to the Reality of Heaven. In this world, the sleeping Children of the Divine have only this Power – that of decision – left to them. It is enough. Their words ultimately do not matter. Only the Divine’s Word of Truth and Love has Meaning, because it symbolizes that which has no human symbols at all. The Holy Spirit understands what this Word means. And this, too, is enough.
Are the Teachers of the Divine then to avoid the use of words in their teaching or participation in healing? No, indeed. There are many who must be reached through words, being as yet unable to hear in silence. The Teachers of the Divine must, however, learn to use words in a new way. Gradually, they learn how to let their words be chosen for them, by ceasing to decide for themselves what they will say. This process is merely a special case of the Workbook lesson that states: “I will step back and let Truth lead the way.” The Teachers of the Divine accept the words that are offered them by Spirit, and give these words as they have received them. They do not control the direction of their speaking. They learn to discern the Voice that guides them, they listen and hear, and then they speak and allow. Thus they join in the Great Awakening.
A major hindrance in the learning of the Teachers of the Divine whose trust isn’t yet total is their doubt and fear about the validity of what they hear of Spirit. And what they hear may indeed be quite startling! It may also seem to be quite irrelevant to the presented problem as they perceive it, and may, in fact, confront the teacher with a situation that appears to be very embarrassing. All these are judgments, and therefore have no value. They are the Teacher of the Divine’s own interpretation, coming from the fearful self-perception that they would leave behind.
Judge not the words that come to you from Spirit, but offer them with confidence to your sisters and brothers. They are far wiser words than your own. The Divine’s Teachers have Its Word of Truth and Love behind their symbols. And the Divine Itself gives to the words they use the Power of Its Holy Spirit, raising the words from meaningless symbols to the Call of Heaven Itself.
