OrEd-T-22.6-Weakness and Defensiveness
45. How are illusions overcome? Surely not by force, or anger, nor by opposing them in any way. Only by letting reason tell me that illusions contradict reality, can they be overcome. Illusions go against what must be true. The opposition comes from illusions and not from reality. Reality opposes nothing. What is, needs no defense, and offers none. Illusions need defense because they are weak. It is easy to walk the way of truth when only weakness interferes. We do not want anything that needs defense, for it would only weaken us. We are the strong ones in this seeming conflict, and we need no defense.
46. The ego uses defenses to try to justify what goes against truth and reason, and makes no sense. Defenses are meant to save us from reason and the truth, and are invitations to insanity. All that the Holy Spirit offers must be defended against and sacrificed. This cannot be justified. We only need to be saved from what we fear. Belief in sin requires great defense, and at enormous cost. For sin is carved into an obstacle, made from our peace, laid between us, and blocking the return of our peace. Yet, peace cannot be fragmented. It is still whole, and nothing has been taken from it.
47. We see how the means, and the material of evil dreams are nothing. It is our Father Whom we would defend against. Yet it remains impossible to keep love out. In truth we stand together. God holds our hands, and nothing can separate what He has joined as one with Him. God rests with us in quiet, undefended and wholly un-defending, for in this quiet state alone is strength and power. Here no weakness can enter, for here is no attack, and therefore no illusions. All uncertainty is doubt about ourselves, and only uncertainty can be defensive. Love rests in certainty.
48. Fear is weak, little, and meaningless! How insignificant before the quiet strength of those whom love has joined! This is our "enemy"--a frightened mouse that would attack the universe. It is not likely that the attack will succeed. It cannot be difficult to disregard the mouse's feeble squeaks telling of its omnipotence. Its attack could not drown out the hymn of praise which every heart throughout the universe forever sings as one to its Creator. Which is stronger, this tiny mouse or everything that God created? A mouse cannot betray whom God has joined. We are not joined together by this mouse, but by the Will of God.
49. If we but recognized how little stands between us and our awareness of our union! We will not be deceived by the illusions it presents of size and thickness, weight, solidity, and firmness of foundation. Yes, to the body's eyes it looks like an enormous solid body, immovable as is a mountain. Yet, within us there is a Force which no illusions can resist. This body only seems to be immovable. This Force is irresistible in truth. What, then, must happen when they come together? The illusion of immovability is quietly passed through and gone beyond.
50. I will remember that when I feel the need to be defensive about anything, I have identified myself with an illusion. Therefore, I feel that I am weak, because I am alone. This is the cost of all illusions. Every illusion rests on the belief that I am separate. Every illusion seems to stand heavy and solid and immovable, between me and my brother. Yet, truth can pass over each illusion, so lightly and easily, that I must be convinced that it is nothing, in spite of what I thought it was. If we forgive each other, this must happen. For it is our unwillingness to overlook what seems to stand between us, that makes the illusion look impenetrable and defends the illusion of its immovability.
