Spending time with a pet is a wonderful way to relax and unwind. There is something so soothing about stroking a cat or dog. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle remarked recently that people like spending time with their pets because these little creatures never judge us. They just accept us as we are. I guess that’s what we can call unconditional love.

It is certainly true that we can relax more with those who don’t attempt to judge us. Jesus deals with the topic of judgement in great depth in A Course in Miracles. He says in judging people and events and in taking sides, we build barriers between “us” and “them”, and these barriers will: “…bind my eyes and make me blind.” W480

Jesus tells us that it is meaningless to judge one another. “You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. When you recognise what you are and what your brothers are, you will realize that judging them in any way is without meaning.” T47 Here he is referring to our divine nature—our Christ identity or son of God. We share this identity with all mankind.

It is also helpful if we remember the concept of oneness, which is at the heart of ACIM. In reality there is only one son of God, i.e. just one of us, so when we judge another person, we can’t help but judge ourselves.