Reason versus Madness

Reason cannot see sin but can see errors,and leads to their correction. It does not value them, but their correction.Reason will also tell you that when you think you sin, yu call for help. Yet ifyou will not accept the help you call for, you will not believe that it isyours to give. And so you will not give it, thus maintaining the belief. Foruncorrected error of any kind deceives you about the power that is in you tomake correction. If it can correct, and you allow it not to do so, you deny itto youself and to your brother. And if he shares this same belief you both willthink that you are damned. This you could spare him and yourself. For reasonwould not make way to correction in you alone. Correction cannot be accepted orrefused by you without your brother. Sin would maintain it can. Yet reasontells you that you cannot see your brother or yourself as sinful and stillperceive the other innocent. Who looks upon himself as guilty and sees asinless world? And who can see a sinful world and look upon himself apart fromit? Sin would maintain you must be separate. But reason tells you that thismust be wrong. If you are joined, how could it be that you have privatethoughts? And how could thoughts that enter into what but seems like yoursalone have no effect at all on what is yours? If minds are joined, this isimpossible. No one can think but for himself, as God thinks not without HisSon. Only were both in bodies could this be. Nor could one mind think only foritself unless the body were the mind. For only bodies can be separate, andtherefore unreal. The home of madness cannot be the home of reason. Yet it iseasy to leave the home of madness if you see reason. You do not leave insanityby going somewhere else. You leave it simply by accepting reason where madnesswas. Madness and reason see the same thing, but it is certain that they lookupon them differently. Madness is an attack on reason that drives it out ofmind, and takes its place. Reason does not attack, but takes the place ofmadness quietly, replacing madness if it be the choice of the insane to listento it. But the insane know not their will, for they believe they see the body,and let their madness tell them it is real. Reason would be incapable of this.And if you would defend the body against your reason, you will not understandthe body or yourself. The body does not separate you from your brother, and ifyou think it does you are insane. But madness has a purpose, and believes italso has the means to make its purpose real. To see the body as a barrierbetween what reason tells you must be joined must be insane. Nor could you seeit, if you heard the voice of reason. What can there be that stands betweenwhat is continuous? And if there is nothing in between, how can what enterspart be kept away from other parts? Reason would tell you this. Butt hink whatyou must recognize, if it be so. If you choose sin instead of healing, you wouldcondemn the Son of God to what can never be corrected. You tell him, by yourchoice, that he is damned; separate from you and from his Father forever,without a hope of safe return. You teach him this, and you will learn of himexactly what you taught. For you can teach him only that he is as you wouldhave him, and what you choose he be is but your choice for you. Yet think notthis is fearful. That you are joined to him is but a fact, not aninterpretation. How can a fact be fearful unless it disagrees with what youhold more dear than truth? Reason will tell you that this fact is your release.Neither your brother nor yourself can be attacked alone. But neither can accepta miracle instead without the other being blessed by it, and healed of pain. Reason,like love, would reassure you, and seeks not to frighten you. The power to healthe Son of God is given you because he must be one with you. You areresponsible for how he sees himself. And reason tells you it is given you tochange his whole mind, which is one with you, in just an instant. And anyinstant serves to bring complete correction of his errors and make him whole.The instant that you choose to let yourself be healed, in that same instant ishis whole salvation seen as complete with yours. Reason is given you tounderstand that this is so. For reason, kind as is the purpose for which it isthe means, leads stedily away from madness toward the goal of truth. And hereyou will lay down the burden of denying truth. This is the burden that is terrible,and not the truth. That you are joined is your salvation; the gift of Heaven,not the gift of fear. Does Heaven seen to be a burden to you? In madness, yes.And yet what madness sees must be dispelled by reason. Reason assures youHeaven is what you want, and all you want. Listen to Him Who speaks withreason, and brings your reason into line with His. Be willing to let reason bethe means by which He would direct you how to leave insanity behind. Hide notbehind insanity in order to escape from reason. What madness would conceal theHoly Spirit still holds out, for everyone to look upon with gladness. You areyour brother´s savior. He is yours. Reason speaks happily indeed of this. Thisgracious plan was given love by Love. And what Love plans is like Itself inthis: Being united, It would have you learn what you must be. And being onewith It, it must be given you to give what It has given, and gives still. Spendbut an instant in the glad acceptance of what is given you to give yourbrother, and learn with him what has been given both of you. To give is no moreblessed than to receive. But neither is it less. The Son of God is alwaysblesses as one. And as his gratitude goes out to you who blessed him, reasonwill tell you that it cannot be you stand apart from blessing. The gratitude heoffers you reminds you of the thanks your Father gives you for completing Him.And here alone does reason tell you that you can understand what you must be.Your Father is as close to you as is your brother. Yet what is there that couldbe nearer you than is your Self? The power you have over the Son of God is nota threat to his reality. It but attests to it. Where could his freedom lie butin himself, if he be free already? And who could bind him but himself, if hedeny his freedom? God is not mocked; no more His Son can be imprisoned save byhis own desire. And it is by his own desire that he is freed. Such is hisstrength, and not his weakness. He is at his own mercy. And where he chooses tobe merciful, there is he free. But where he chooses to condemn instead, thereis he held a prisoner, waiting in chains his pardon on himself to set him free.

Love