Greetings All –
Enemies are only friends who have not learned to
join. Step 288 (MP3) [Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive
– Step PDF also.]
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| Enemies are only friends who have not learned to join. Step 288 |
IN
KNOWLEDGE THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, for in Knowledge all are your friends. You
recognize each person to be at whatever stage of development he or she is
currently engaged. You may become involved with some of them, and with some of
them you may not. Some of them may be able to receive your contribution
directly, while others will need to receive it indirectly. But they are all
your friends. There is no opposition in Knowledge, for there is only one
Knowledge in the universe. It expresses itself through each individual. As each
individual becomes more purified as a vehicle for Knowledge, as each individual
becomes a greater recipient of Knowledge and as each individual follows
Knowledge and becomes responsible to Knowledge, then the opportunity for him or
her to be in conflict will diminish and eventually will disappear.
RECOGNIZE,
THEN, THAT ALL WAR AND CONFLICT simply express a lack of capacity for those
involved to join. When individuals join, they recognize a common need, which
becomes their primary need. This must be born of Knowledge and not idealism if
it is to be actualized. It must be born of Knowledge and not mere philosophy if
it is to lead to true action and true involvement. Thus, you become a peacemaker
and a peacekeeper in the world as you follow as a student of Knowledge. The
stronger Knowledge is within you, the weaker will be your fear and ambivalence.
In this way, war within you will be ended, and your life will be a
demonstration that war is unnecessary.
DEDICATE
YOURSELF TODAY TO ENDING WAR within the world by ending war within yourself so
that you may be a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. Upon the hour remind yourself
of today’s lesson and apply it to the world that you see around you. Apply it
to all of the conflicts in the world of which you are aware. Try to understand
its complete relevancy to these conflicts. This will require that you see these
conflicts from a different point of view in order to realize the full impact
and meaning of today’s idea. It is this point of view that you must cultivate,
for you must learn to see as Knowledge sees, to think as Knowledge thinks and
to act as Knowledge acts. All this you will most certainly accomplish as you
follow Knowledge each day.
IN
YOUR DEEPER PRACTICE PERIODS return to stillness and silence so that you may
strengthen your ability to cultivate and prepare yourself to be an emissary of
Knowledge in the world. This is your responsibility today. This will permeate
all of your other activities and give them value and meaning, for today you are
a student of Knowledge.
PRACTICE
288: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.
Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link
to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps Recordings -
Steps to Knowledge - Working file
If this is your first time seeing one of the “Steps to Knowledge”,
then welcome. There are 365 Steps, daily spiritual practices if one seeks to
complete them in a year, but that is not necessary. They can be used by people
of any religious tradition or no religious tradition. They will help one to
become mindful in the world.
The Step today is from the book: Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing. The practices were
brought to the world through Marshall Vian Summers, The Messenger for The New
Message From God. Important background for the Steps is in: “Greater Community Spirituality” and the “Wisdom Books - I and II”.
Hard copies are available from the New Knowledge Library Store. The
Society for the New Message from God also has a Free Book Project. If you need
the books now, PDF files can be found here: http://goo.gl/RJuuGP
Keeping a journal is recommended. If you have a Steps book,
write your reactions and comments, highlight or underline points that strike
you, and date the note. In this way, your Steps book can be a partial journal.
Using the PDF, you can print out pages as you need them, or use
the software to maintain a digital copy where you can enter notes and highlight
text that stands out.
Other modern methods of keeping a journal include having a
document on your PC or phone to keep notes. You could send yourself an email or
use the voice recorder function. It is important to capture insights and
reactions because it is by this means that you can understand change. Sometimes
it may just be a word or short phrase, an image or a scene.
To end this post I again offer the blessing: "May the
presence of the Teachers be with you." In the invocative language of
Knowledge this blessing is: "Nasi Novare Coram" (pronounced NAH-see
no-VAHR-ay co-RAHM)
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
NNC
P.S. Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. For
this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference how fast
you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts linked above provide
a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One
may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps
students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as
a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys.
Doing Steps with only the texts, messages and your life
experience, including what you may have studied and practiced is your journey.
I’m showing Step comments after the Step, so as not to influence anyone in
advance. It is a wilderness trek to be left to your own wits, but then you can
also listen more closely for guides, angels and teachers, always first saying:
“I surround and protect myself with the Love and the Grace of God.” Thankfully,
I was taught this practice in 1989.
