Captivated By the Body
Think about how much we live in the service of our body. It clamors to us all day long. I’m hungry, feed me. I’m bored, let’s do something. I’m angry, let’s stew on this topic awhile. I’m sad, let’s dwell on why.
And when we’re fearful or in pain, that’s when we really get locked in on the body. Pain and fear are so compelling.
But we made them that way. With the purpose of rooting our attention in the body and convincing us that our bodies are a core part of our identify. When our body suffers, we suffer.
“The body can bring you neither joy nor pain. It is a means, and not an end.” (T-19.IV.B.10) When we read passages like this from A Course in Miracles, it can be very hard to accept. We’re so associated with these bodies that it’s hard to escape their attention.
But when we realize that the body “transmits to you the feelings that you want” (T-19.IV.B.14) then we can understand the dynamics at play. The body doesn’t do anything on its own. It simply responds to the mind.
When we choose the ego mind, our body becomes a prisoner of time and every negative emotion including anger, sadness, pain, and fear. But when we choose the mind of spirit, our body becomes a channel for love and we experience peace.
So the next time we’re feeling any negativity from our body, we can quietly utter this lovely prayer from the Course:
Take this from me and look upon it, judging it for me. Teach me how not to make of it an obstacle to peace, but let You use it for me, to facilitate its coming.
Wishing you much peace!