II-20-24

Let's take a look at were we are on the path so that we can maintain our focus on the goal and avoid missteps.

We now know that God's the intention in opening a path is that the path quickly lead to everyone in the world knowing the Heart of God ( universal single-hearted salvation).

Regrettably we have seen that there is a potential for our human minds to misunderstand God's intention and in so doing making missteps on the path resulting in distortion or rejection of God's teaching of single-hearted salvation.

To remove this misunderstanding God had provided the Service for the purification of the mind. The perfect performance of this Service returns the human mind to its original condition and restores in it the free and unlimited workings of the original creative power of the universe.

To help us to understand this marvelous intention, God has taught us that the state of our minds, becomes the state of God's mind, which is returned as the state of the world.

The performance of the Service will then prepare our mind to fully understand this relationship:

[Our self centered mind]--[is perfectly reflected in God's mind] ---[and is returned as the state of our world]

We have examined this relationship in light of Book I and in Book II up until verse 19 and I think that we can see that the following progression along the path is shown.

[The self centered mind]--[reflected in God's mind]---[returned as the state of our world]

Through the perfect performance of the Service to purify the mind

[Replaced with God's mind]--[radiance and joy] --[returned as the joyous life]

It is very straightforward but misunderstanding in the self-centered imagination persists and the Service is not perfectly performed so we continue with Book II verses 20 through 24 all the while remaining focused on the goal of single-hearted salvation and nothing else.

When this dust is completely swept away,
nothing will remain but universal salvation.

Hereafter, I shall hasten the Service step by step,
preparing only for universal salvation.

There is obviously a place here for a misstep. What does completely mean?

Returning to the verses at hand.

Illness and pain throughout the world: you do not know
that these are the road signs or guidance of God.

There is nothing in this world that should be called illness.
Whenever there is a disorder of the body, ponder deeply.

Day after day, God is hastening this salvation.
What are all of you thinking of it?

Once again God asks a question of us. What are we thinking of it? It seems all too easy to lose focus and lose sight of the goal of single-heartedness with God. At each step of the path there is always the possibility of converting what God intends to something that makes sense to our self centered mind.