A friend’s breakthrough

One of my Course student friends shared a remarkable dream that was a real forgiveness breakthrough for her. Just hearing it was a breakthrough of sorts for me as well, for it captured so well what Course-based forgiveness is all about: looking past those illusory “bodies misbehaving” and seeing the innocent Christ in our brothers with Jesus’ help. So now, with my friend’s permission, I’d like to share that dream with you.

First, just a little background: My friend had been working on healing her past. She had been bringing to mind people she had hurt and people she thought had hurt her, and asking Jesus to help her see things differently. Then, the night before Thanksgiving, she had the dream:

My dream was very interesting. I’ve been working a lot on my past lately. Before having the dream I was, as always, very open to Jesus, and I was telling him about all my hurts and mistakes and disappointments. I was waiting for his help. Sometimes I had a sudden and direct insight into a subject, which was very helpful, but I had no experience of direct “hearing” or getting “information” in my head until I had that dream.

There are so many details to my dream, but the main thing was that I saw that Jesus is back in this world. I was trying so hard to find him. Finally, I did find him. I remember that when I found him, the first thing he said was, “I am here.” I was so happy that no words can describe it. Then I said to him, “But your body doesn’t look like the historical Jesus!” That’s when something amazing happened.

At that moment, he took my mind on something like a journey to “look at bodies.” I can’t describe in words what it was like. But he showed me that bodies, no matter whose bodies they are, are totally neutral, not real. It really doesn’t matter what a particular body has “done” or “said.” It is absolutely meaningless because it is absolutely unreal.  The only purpose a body has is communication.

When I started looking at different people, especially those I thought had hurt me, I felt that none of it was true, that they had done nothing!  It was so amazing! I can’t tell you what a feeling it was! We read about forgiveness in the Course: “Forgive your brothers because they have done nothing to you.” We study it, we accept it as a fact because Jesus is saying it, we try to apply it, we meditate on it, and so on. But it is so different when Jesus enables you to feel it! I remember that after looking at those people, I felt that actually there is nothing to forgive! There is no reason to forgive them!

Wow! I wish I had dreams like that. For me it is a powerful testimony that Course-based forgiveness really works, and that Jesus is really, literally there to help us every step of the way. I am very grateful to my friend for sharing this gift with me, and for allowing me to share it with you.