In the introduction, we said that one view of money is that it is intrinsically evil, the root of all evils. Somehow, we have ingrained in our subconscious the idea that money is the cause of the many problems we experience. Who has not thought that without the unjust systems imposed by money, we would have a better society and a better world? And who has not thought that money has the power to corrupt anyone? “Everyone has their price,” says a famous saying.
Jesus tells us in the Course that money is an effect of a prior cause and therefore cannot be attributed with evil:
The authority problem, not money, is the real “root of all evil.” Money is but one of its many reflections, and is a reasonably representative example of the kind of thinking which stems from it. The idea of buying and selling implies precisely the kind of exchange that the spirit cannot understand at all, because its own supply is always abundant and all its demands are fully met. (CE T-4.II.1:3-5)
Separation can be understood as a process we undertook with the goal of becoming our own authors. First, we denied God as our divine Author and then embarked on a journey where we imagine that we create ourselves. The course calls this “the problem of authorship.” The problem is that we are confused about who our author is.
You can imagine this as pretending to leave home, hitting your head, and due to your amnesia, not remembering who your father is. However, just because you have forgotten does not mean your father stops being who he is. A simple paternity test could prove where you come from.
What Jesus says is that being confused about who created you is the root of all evil. Money is not the root, since money is just one of many reflections of the authorship problem. Here, Jesus is freeing money from the old and prevailing view that it is the cause of all evil. We might automatically think that Jesus is aligning with the modern view that money is intrinsically good, your divine right, a demonstration that you are doing God’s will.
However, Jesus does not align with that view either. It is clear in this paragraph that Jesus categorizes money as part of the problem by saying it is a concept that arises as a product of the authorship problem. In fact, he says that the idea it represents is the opposite of what happens in heaven.
At the end of the previous quote, we see that heaven is described as a condition where we are always abundant and have no needs. The language used is clearly associated with the formulation of the basic economic law of “supply and demand.” If there were an economy in heaven, we would say that supply is always abundant and demand is always completely satisfied.
In what sense is money a representative example of the authorship problem? Separation carried out a process of inversion as seen relative to where we are; metaphorically speaking, separation from God puts us, in a sense, “upside down.” That is, what is true in heaven, being inverted, ends up being the opposite in this world. In heaven, supply is always abundant, and demand is always satisfied. However, money, being a reflection of the idea of separation, ends up exemplifying contrary laws. In this world, supply is scarce, and demand is never satisfied. Money is that crazy idea that arises in a world where scarcity reigns.
The way to rid ourselves of the idea that money is the cause of our problems, even if only for a few of them, is by resolving the internal problem of authorship, also called the problem of authority in the course. As long as we believe that there are external or internal things that have the power to cause the calamities we experience, we are confused about who created us. Jesus emphasizes the importance of resolving this problem as soon as possible:
It is essential that this whole authority problem be voluntarily dismissed once and for all. You do not understand how important this is for your sanity. You are quite insane on this point. (CE T-3.XI.1:1-3)
Interestingly, the way to rid ourselves of this problem is by recognizing that it is a fictitious problem, a problem we have believed is there but is actually an illusion. How can we understand this? We find the key in these paragraphs:
Peace is a natural heritage of the Son. Everyone is free to refuse to accept his inheritance, but he is not free to establish what his inheritance is. The problem which everyone must decide is the fundamental question of his own authorship. CE T-3.X.11:1-3)
And also,
You cannot find peace while this authority problem continues. But the truth is still that there is no problem about this. There is no one who does not feel that he is imprisoned in some way. If this has been the result of his own free will, he must regard his will as if it were not free, or the obviously circular reasoning of his own position would be quite apparent. Free will must lead to freedom. (CE T-3.X.12:1-5)
The authority problem can be reduced to a simple phrase: “My will and God’s are different.” If they were the same will, there would be no authority to oppose and no problem at all. So, the problem is that I have used my free will to oppose God’s will. I have opposed His will by believing that I am the author of my own reality.
Each of us thinks we can shape reality as we please. That we can build our identity as we wish through our actions and the stories we weave. We plot our own story and build our own image with each passing day. We have a strong attachment to being the authors of our own reality.
If I have money problems and peace is my natural inheritance, that means I am denying my inheritance. The evidence that I am denying my inheritance is that I do not have peace due to these problems, or because I feel like a prisoner of circumstances; and not the fact of not having money. Since God’s will is my inheritance and my inheritance is peace, that means I have chosen to live contrary to God’s will. Therefore, I am using my free will to imprison myself. Complete insanity!
We do not realize this circular and insane reasoning because, instead of thinking that we have used our freedom to imprison ourselves, we simply think that our will cannot be free. And that we are at the mercy of the will of the world and other people.
Can I accept without reserves that another Being is responsible for my existence and who I am?
Can I accept that I used my freedom to deny my Creator?
Can I use my free will not to imprison myself but to be free?
Why would I not accept peace, which is my inheritance?
Practice
The way to apply these ideas in practice is by declaring your independence from the things that seem to define who you are. What things in this world do you believe define you? What things in this world have the power to alter your image?
Today, we will spend the day identifying those things that seem to be our author and declaring independence from them. Some examples:
- I believe that money has the power to define who I am, what I do, or what I can or cannot do.
- I believe that the opinions of others have the power to alter how I see myself and how I behave.
- I believe that the lack of certain things like water, electricity, or silence has the power to alter my peace.
- I believe that certain foods, drinks, or substances can affect my mood.
- I believe that certain rituals can make me feel better.
Stay alert throughout the day to identify any thought that seems to indicate that the world is your author and has the ability to dictate who you are or how you feel. You will easily know this whenever you see that you have lost your peace. Each time you identify such a thought, immediately respond with the truth by saying:
I made up the idea that ———- has the power to alter me. But my true author is God, and my inheritance is His peace.”
For example, if you find yourself distressed about a debt or because someone has a bad opinion of you, you can say:
“I made up that this debt has the power to alter me. But my true author is God, and my inheritance is His peace.”
“I made up that this opinion has the power to alter me. But my true author is God, and my inheritance is His peace.”
As usual, remember to say the words very slowly and feel their meaning. It is not about repeating them like a parrot, but about allowing yourself to feel how the content those words represent has the power to dissolve illusions. Remember to apply the response to temptation until you feel an internal change. It might also help to say them with a sense of declaring your independence from those external things.
Additionally, set your phone timer to remind you every 20 minutes of the truth. It is important to keep a true idea in mind throughout the day; otherwise, your mind will get lost in daily distractions and you will think again that the world is your author. You can use this phrase:
My worth is not determined by anything in this world. My worth was established by God.
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