Acim, also known as Acumen, is a work by Helen Schucman. The main underlying premise is that “the greatest miracle” is the personal act of “literally receiving a full awareness of the presence of God in one’s life”. Schucman maintained that this was a message she received from Christ himself. It is, in fact, one of the main ideas behind the “Acim Meditation” method, which centers on the idea that through meditating you can receive this awareness.
In order to appreciate what Christ would have given us this message, we need to look beyond our individual ego perspective and examine how we normally view “mercy and justice” within the course of our lives. We have all experienced some degree of both: we have lived and died with the expectation of some sort of atonement for our actions. Most people, at some time, will probably attribute some sort of action or reaction to the commission of their sin: the killing of a human being, an abuse, an attempt at suicide, etc.
The point of all this is to ask what sort of atonement could have possibly been made by Christ – that would make it possible for us to have an “academic sense” of mercy and justice, even if we don’t recognize it in our lives. I am not claiming to have the answer to the mysteries of Christ’s work, but I do think that there is room for an analysis of how forgiveness might have been accomplished and the place God placed in that exercise. That said, this does not mean that there are no possibilities left to obtain inner peace. There are!
What I am trying to do is give you something you can chew on as you navigate the waters of change and flux that characterizes the path we must walk today. It has always been my experience that if I am open to the possibility that God might be using the actions of one who is actually in ministry to work in His ways (and not against Him) then I am much more likely to walk in the direction of that which He has chosen. If you are not open to that possibility and refuse to consider the possibility that God might be working through you to accomplish what His purposes have been in terms of providing you with inner peace then you are limiting your ability to walk in the direction God has provided for you. In that case, you will be working against God and that can never, under any circumstances, be acceptable.
The “Acquire, Learn, Believe” series continues with Part Five: The Workbook. The book is not only important for the information given in this series, but it is also important for a number of reasons. First, I want you to realize that just because I put you in an a Mimibi state of mind doesn’t mean that you automatically believe everything you are taught. The workbook teaches you how to go back and verify that what you were taught was not true or was not God’s plan.
Second, if the acim process does not allow you to go back and verify that what you were taught is not true, then that is another huge reason to investigate what really is going on with your life, finances, and spiritual growth. Third, the “Acquire, Learn, Believe” series is not finished with Part Six: The Workbook. That book covers several areas of concern that must be addressed before you can gain complete insight into your life, finances, and other areas. That book will show you that what you think you know about God and about yourself is really not consistent with the reality of what He has revealed to you. Finally, the workbook completes the series and completes the “Acquire, Learn, Believe” process by putting you back in a position to use what you have learned from Part Five: The Workbook to make a major impact on your life and on the world around you.
