T-25.VI:The Special Function

1. 1The grace of God rests gently on forgiving eyes, and everything they look on speaks of Him to the beholder. 2He can see no evil; nothing in the world to fear, and no one who is different from himself. 3And as he loves them, so he looks upon himself with love and gentleness. 4He would no more condemn himself for his mistakes than damn another. 5He is not an arbiter of vengeance, nor a punisher of sin. 6The kindness of his sight rests on himself with all the tenderness it offers others. 7For he would only heal and only bless. 8And being in accord with what God wills, he has the power to heal and bless all those he looks on with the grace of God upon his sight.

2. 1Eyes become used to darkness, and the light of brilliant day seems painful to the eyes grown long accustomed to the dim effects perceived at twilight. 2And they turn away from sunlight and the clarity it brings to what they look upon. 3Dimness seems better; easier to see, and better recognized. 4Somehow the vague and more obscure seems easier to look upon; less painful to the eyes than what is wholly clear and unambiguous. 5Yet this is not what eyes are for, and who can say that he prefers the darkness and maintain he wants to see?

3. 1The wish to see calls down the grace of God upon your eyes, and brings the gift of light that makes sight possible. 2Would you behold your brother? 3God is glad to have you look on him. 4He does not will your savior be unrecognized by you. 5Nor does He will that he remain without the function that He gave to him. 6Let him no more be lonely, for the lonely ones are those who see no function in the world for them to fill; no place where they are needed, and no aim which only they can perfectly fulfill.

4. 1Such is the Holy Spirit’s kind perception of specialness; His use of what you made, to heal instead of harm. 2To each He gives a special function in salvation he alone can fill; a part for only him. 3Nor is the plan complete until he finds his special function, and fulfills the part assigned to him, to make himself complete within a world where incompletion rules.

5. 1Here, where the laws of God do not prevail in perfect form, can he yet do one perfect thing and make one perfect choice. 2And by this act of special faithfulness to one perceived as other than himself, he learns the gift was given to himself, and so they must be one. 3Forgiveness is the only function meaningful in time. 4It is the means the Holy Spirit uses to translate specialness from sin into salvation. 5Forgiveness is for all. 6But when it rests on all it is complete, and every function of this world completed with it. 7Then is time no more. 8Yet while in time, there is still much to do. 9And each must do what is allotted him, for on his part does all the plan depend. 10He has a special part in time for so he chose, and choosing it, he made it for himself. 11His wish was not denied but changed in form, to let it serve his brother and himself, and thus become a means to save instead of lose.

6. 1Salvation is no more than a reminder this world is not your home. 2Its laws are not imposed on you, its values are not yours. 3And nothing that you think you see in it is really there at all. 4This is seen and understood as each one takes his part in its undoing, as he did in making it. 5He has the means for either, as he always did. 6The specialness he chose to hurt himself did God appoint to be the means for his salvation, from the very instant that the choice was made. 7His special sin was made his special grace. 8His special hate became his special love.

7. 1The Holy Spirit needs your special function, that His may be fulfilled. 2Think not you lack a special value here. 3You wanted it, and it is given you. 4All that you made can serve salvation easily and well. 5The Son of God can make no choice the Holy Spirit cannot employ on his behalf, and not against himself. 6Only in darkness does your specialness appear to be attack. 7In light, you see it as your special function in the plan to save the Son of God from all attack, and let him understand that he is safe, as he has always been, and will remain in time and in eternity alike. 8This is the function given you for your brother. 9Take it gently, then, from your brother’s hand, and let salvation be perfectly fulfilled in you. 10Do this one thing, that everything be given you.