Stand Within: Absolution by Imagination

Neville's Inner Vision

Beloved, the scene is not out there but within. 'At my first answer' marks the moment you face a judgment you fear; 'no man stood with me' is the inner sense of isolation you feel when an old state is dying. In Neville's terms, these are states of consciousness, not facts in the world. The mercy Paul asks for is the release of blame—he chooses not to lay the charge of betrayal on those who seemed to desert. When you interpret 'they forsook me' as a momentary misperception, you open the door to the I AM as your constant companion. The prayer becomes a practice: revise your inner landscape until you can say, 'The I AM stands with me; I am not abandoned.' As you persist, your imagination reassembles the scene and your circumstances begin to shift to reflect the new consciousness. Trust that the inner union you cultivate will eventually echo in your outer life. Stay with the feeling of being accompanied by the divine presence within you, regardless of appearances.