“The might of God’s teachers lies in their gentleness, for they have understood their evil thoughts came neither from God’s Son nor his Creator. Thus did they join their thoughts with Him Who is their Source. And so their will, which always was His Own, is free to be itself.” (M-4.IV.2:8-10)

“…the ego has no power to distract you unless you give it the power to do so. The ego’s voice is an hallucination. You cannot expect it to say “I am not real.” Yet you are not asked to dispel your hallucinations alone. You are merely asked to evaluate them in terms of their results to you. If you do not want them on the basis of loss of peace, they will be removed from your mind for you.” (T-8.I.2)

“Have faith in (your brother) who walks with you, so that your fearful concept of yourself may change. And look upon the good in him, that you may not be frightened by your “evil” thoughts because they do not cloud your view of him. And all this shift requires is that you be willing that this happy change occur. No more than this is asked.” (T-31.VII.5:1-4)

Thoughts arise as part of a process outside our own agency. They are not of our doing. We need take no responsibility for their appearance. Our one responsibility is to evaluate them on the basis of whether they rob us of peace, and give them over to be removed from the mind if they do and we don’t want that result.

This is the process of purification, and while it is not done by the self, its doing is accomplished through the agency of the self, whose sole choice is whether to choose separation. That simple decision—whether to experience separation—gets reflected by the mind, such that choosing for separation will bring more of such thoughts, which are then projected out into the world of form. Likewise, choosing to relinquish separation causes a gradual cessation of such thoughts over time, and projects peace out into the world.

This is how relationships serve salvation. They give us the opportunity to observe the thoughts that arise in the context of relating with others, and to question those thoughts which keep us from peace, and open the mind and heart to a different understanding, one that sees past separation and hate to love and wholeness.