Commentary on A Course in Miracles: Lesson 26

Is vulnerability real?

Welcome to Daily Miracles, a running commentary on the 365 lessons of A Course in Miracles, an influential spiritual text from the 1970s. I am James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I go through this material for the first time.

My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability. (ACIM, W-26)

I believe this is the first lesson that brings up the idea of “invulnerability.” This Course seems to do that; it throws in completely new concepts from time to time, like when it brought up “God” and “God’s son” without build-up or context.

And today we’re being told that we’re actually invulnerable, but our “attack thoughts” tell us otherwise:

4. Practice with today’s idea will help you to understand that vulnerability or invulnerability is the result of your own thoughts. ²Nothing except your thoughts can attack you. ³Nothing except your thoughts can make you think you are vulnerable. ⁴And nothing except your thoughts can prove to you this is not so. (ACIM, W-26.4:1–4)

“Vulnerability,” however, seems contextual. Is the physical body “vulnerable” to injuries from violence or accidents? It would seem so. Unless our bodies don’t mean anything.