1. Is it not evident that what the body’s eyes perceive fills you with fear? ²Perhaps you think you find a hope of satisfaction there. ³Perhaps you fancy to attain some peace and satisfaction in the world as you perceive it. ⁴Yet it must be evident the outcome does not change. ⁵Despite your hopes and fancies, always does despair result. ⁶And there is no exception, nor will there ever be. ⁷The only value that the past can hold is that you learn it gave you no rewards which you would want to keep. ⁸For only thus will you be willing to relinquish it, and have it gone forever.

2. Is it not strange that you should cherish still some hope of satisfaction from the world you see? ²In no respect, at any time or place, has anything but fear and guilt been your reward. ³How long is needed for you to realize the chance of change in this respect is hardly worth delaying change that might result in better outcome? ⁴For one thing is sure; the way you see, and long have seen, gives no support to base your future hopes, and no suggestions of success at all. ⁵To place your hopes where no hope lies must make you hopeless. ⁶Yet is this hopelessness your choice, while you would seek for hope where none is ever found.

3. Is it not also true that you have found some hope apart from this; some glimmering,—inconstant, wavering, yet dimly seen,—that hopefulness is warranted on grounds that are not in this world? ²And yet your hope that they may still be here prevents you still from giving up the hopeless and unrewarding task you set yourself. ³Can it make sense to hold the fixed belief that there is reason to uphold pursuit of what has always failed, on grounds that it will suddenly succeed and bring what it has never brought before?

4. Its past has failed. ²Be glad that it is gone within your mind, to darken what is there. ³Take not the form for content, for the form is but a means for content. ⁴And the frame is but a means to hold the picture up, so that it can be seen. ⁵A frame that hides the picture has no purpose. ⁶It cannot be a frame if it is what you see. ⁷Without the picture is the frame without its meaning. ⁸Its purpose is to set the picture off, and not itself.

5. Who hangs an empty frame upon a wall and stands before it, deep in reverence, as if a masterpiece were there to see? ²Yet if you see your brother as a body, it is but this you do. ³The masterpiece that God has set within this frame is all there is to see. ⁴The body holds it for a while, without obscuring it in any way. ⁵Yet what God has created needs no frame, for what He has created He supports and frames within Himself. ⁶His masterpiece He offers you to see. ⁷And would you rather see the frame instead of this? ⁸And see the picture not at all?

6. The Holy Spirit is the frame God set around the part of Him that you would see as separate. ²Yet its frame is joined to its Creator, one with Him and with His masterpiece. ³This is its purpose, and you do not make the frame into the picture when you choose to see it in its place. ⁴The frame that God has given it but serves His purpose, not yours apart from His. ⁵It is your separate purpose that obscures the picture, and cherishes the frame instead of it. ⁶Yet God has set His masterpiece within a frame that will endure forever, when yours has crumbled into dust. ⁷But think you not the picture is destroyed in any way. ⁸What God creates is safe from all corruption, unchanged and perfect in eternity.

7. Accept God’s frame instead of yours, and you will see the masterpiece. ²Look at its loveliness, and understand the Mind that thought it, not in flesh and bones, but in a frame as lovely as itself. ³Its holiness lights up the sinlessness the frame of darkness hides, and casts a veil of light across the picture’s face which but reflects the light that shines from it to its Creator. ⁴Think not this face was ever darkened because you saw it in a frame of death. ⁵God kept it safe that you might look on it, and see the holiness that He has given it.

8. Within the darkness see the savior from the dark, and understand your brother as his Father’s Mind shows him to you. ²He will step forth from darkness as you look on him, and you will see the dark no more. ³The darkness touched him not, nor you who brought him forth for you to look upon. ⁴His sinlessness but pictures yours. ⁵His gentleness becomes your strength, and both will gladly look within, and see the holiness that must be there because of what you looked upon in him. ⁶He is the frame in which your holiness is set, and what God gave him must be given you. ⁷However much he overlooks the masterpiece in him and sees only a frame of darkness, it is still your only function to behold in him what he sees not. ⁸And in this seeing is the vision shared that looks on Christ instead of seeing death.

9. How could the Lord of Heaven not be glad if you appreciate His masterpiece? ²What could He do but offer thanks to you who love His Son as He does? ³Would He not make known to you His Love, if you but share His praise of what He loves? ⁴God cherishes creation as the perfect Father that He is. ⁵And so His joy is made complete when any part of Him joins in His praise, to share His joy. ⁶This brother is His perfect gift to you. ⁷And He is glad and thankful when you thank His perfect Son for being what he is. ⁸And all His thanks and gladness shine on you who would complete His joy, along with Him. ⁹And thus is yours completed. ¹⁰Not one ray of darkness can be seen by those who will to make their Father’s happiness complete, and theirs along with His. ¹¹The gratitude of God Himself is freely offered to everyone who shares His purpose. ¹²It is not His Will to be alone. ¹³And neither is it yours.

10. Forgive your brother, and you cannot separate yourself from him nor from his Father. ²You need no forgiveness, for the wholly pure have never sinned. ³Give, then, what He has given you, that you may see His Son as one, and thank his Father as He thanks you. ⁴Nor believe that all His praise is given not to you. ⁵For what you give is His, and giving it, you learn to understand His gift to you. ⁶And give the Holy Spirit what He offers unto the Father and the Son alike. ⁷Nothing has power over you except His Will and yours, which but extends His Will. ⁸It was for this you were created, and your brother with you and at one with you.

11. You and your brother are the same, as God Himself is One and not divided in His Will. ²And you must have one purpose, since He gave the same to both of you. ³His Will is brought together as you join in will, that you be made complete by offering completion to your brother. ⁴See not in him the sinfulness he sees, but give him honor that you may esteem yourself and him. ⁵To you and your brother is given the power of salvation, that escape from darkness into light be yours to share; that you may see as one what never has been separate, nor apart from all God’s Love as given equally.