A Course in Miracles is a radical teaching that aims at completely changing how we view the world, ourselves, and God. It revises many of the core “truths” we have been taught about the nature of the world and the purpose of our lives within that world. It also reinterprets some of the teachings of traditional Christianity. You may find ideas in the Course that seems strange, confusing, unbelievable, or even absurd at first. Rest assured, many others have felt the same way.
But don’t let this deter you. Only by implementing the ideas and putting them into practice will you recognize their validity and the profound impact they can have on your life. The Workbook’s Introduction gives us this very important instruction, which applies not only to the study of the Workbook but to the entire Course. “Remember only this: you need not believe the ideas, you need not accept them, and you need not even welcome them. Some of them you may actively resist. None of this will matter, or decrease their Effi Cacy… and whatever your reactions to the ideas may be, use them.
Nothing more than that is required.
In other words, if you read something that seems incomprehensible or that you simply can’t believe, just set it aside in your mind for the time being. What seems unbelievable to you now may make more sense at a later time; what is unclear now
may be explained to your satisfaction further on. If concept 5 causes you to feel uneasy, understand that this is a natural
response to learning about a completely new way of thinking. Just keep going.
A Course in Miracles is quite simple—but not necessarily easy. The ideas that make up its foundation are repeated
throughout in many different variations. Most of us find that over time the concepts become clearer and more familiar. In the context of later teachings, they come to make more sense. Like anything worth studying, the Course requires commitment, repetition and practice. It’s a bit like learning a new language.
Indeed, in a way, it is a new language: Somewhat
incomprehensible at first, but over time, with continued use, its message of love and peace become our natural way of “speaking” in the world. Take your time. Don’t rush. You won’t understand the Course better if you try to do it faster. Most of us have found that even after we’ve finished reading the entire Text and completed the Workbook lessons, the Course has more for us to learn, and indeed we discover that subsequent readings open up deeper levels of understanding.
We feel drawn to ongoing reading and study, not only to learn more, but because it brings a sense of peace and comfort, like visiting with a dear friend, and a conviction that “yes, this is the truth.” For many, the study of A Course in Miracles becomes a lifelong path, with ever-new vistas opening up among the happily familiar resting places.
