Listening to David McCullough on 60 Minutes last night helped me put the contentiousness of this current political campaign in perspective. We have been like this for a long time. As a matter of fact, during the second presidential campaign of our country, Thomas Jefferson actually hired a professional mud-slinger to defame John Adams. They even accused Adams of being a hermaphrodite! Their punches were really below the belt!

None of this condones the “tamer” approach we have today, but it should make us realize that our egos can run amuck in subtle as well as bold ways. We need to be just as aware of the subtle ego thoughts as we are of those that bang us over the head. What are they? Anything that robs us of our peace. A Course in Miracles asks us to think of it like this: what are we thinking that God is not thinking; and, what are we not thinking that God would have us think? God probably isn’t cursing someone out for cutting in front of Him on the freeway, nor is He withholding His loving thoughts because another supports a political position that doesn’t seem in line with His. To think with God for our peace of mind, we need to be clearly aware of what we are thinking (and how it is affecting our peace) and then be willing to change our minds to think like Him…with the help of our internal teacher, the Holy Spirit.

It may make us feel somewhat defeated when we look back and see how political campaigns have really not changed much, but at least now we can see what we don’t want and we can choose another way.

In a recent meeting at the Center, we read workbook lesson 250 from A Course in Miracles, “Let me not see myself as limited.” In that lesson, it reminded us that our angry and attacking thoughts toward another really limit us. If we hope to know the unlimited power of God that abides within us, we must behold the truth within others. The lesson gives us a beautiful thought to hold in mind whenever we are tempted to wander from this awareness, as it says, “…today I would behold his gentleness instead of my illusions.”

I really liked that simple yet powerful idea. Those thoughts I am thinking about another that cause me to anger are illusions. Instead of those, I want to see his gentleness; and, in doing this, I will see my own.

It harkens back to that beautiful hymn, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” If peace is what we want, then it must be the gift we give to those we like as well as those who cause us to anger. May this be the day we choose peace.

“…today I would behold his gentleness instead of my illusions.”