© 1992 Ann Bendall
© 1992 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
Ann Bendall, Nambour, Queensland
By the time that Urantia is settled in light and life “language is so improved as to be symbolic of concepts as well as to be expressive of ideas” (UB 55:5.6).
In respect of today’s civilization, we are told that “there is a great need for further linguistic development to facilitate the expression of evolving thought” (UB 81:6.16).
The revelators explained the great difficulty they had in compiling the Urantia papers due to the paucity of our language, and consequently I forgive them for utilizing language that embraced concepts as well as being expressive of ideas. They would have had an impossible job had they not. And so I read the beautiful blue book, am struck with awe at its wisdom; my mind pulsates with the truth of it all, but when I sit down and ask myself what exactly they said, I have not a clue.
I reach for the dictionary, dissecting every word in a sentence and then try to piece it back together, but it results in something less than the revelators’ concept. It is as if each pearl of wisdom is beyond my grasp. I recognize this, and it is so darned frustrating.
“Religion is man’s supreme experience in the mortal nature, but finite language makes it forever impossible for theology ever adequately to depict real religious experience.” (UB 196:3.28)
I suspect that I may have to resign myself to the problem of quantifying concepts and my experience, linguistically, this side of Paradise!
It is as if The URANTIA Book looks as if it is written in English. It utilizes words such as I can find in the dictionary, and when it coins words or phrases due to our vocabulary being inadequate, it explains the meaning. And then the resemblance ceases when I try to understand a sentence. It is not the words they use, it is the way they use them. I am fast coming to the conclusion that The URANTIA Book is one big conceptual parable. As I grow in understanding, the book means something different, it acquires a depth that it lacked at the last reading. To be more precise it has things in it which it did not have before. And yet I know this is impossible, and hence as I grow, it seems to cater for that growth, in the further depth of understanding I will obtain due to its beautiful, linguistically exquisite use of our language. As an example of what I mean, and my attendant problem:
“The teachings of Jesus are really applicable to a mortal world which has had the preliminary training of the pre-bestowal Sons with their dispensations of character ennoblement and culture augmentation.” (UB 52:5.8)
I nod so wisely, understanding why I cannot understand what Jesus says, then dread of realization strikes my timid heart. The revelators felt I was ready for a crash course in “character ennoblement” and “culture augmentation”, and so I was given The URANTIA Book. And so I must mentally add these characteristics to the list of necessary pre-requisites to living as Jesus and our Father would wish.
I so want the teachings of Jesus to be applicable to me that I am determined to ennoble my character and augment my culture, but where do I start? A somewhat wiser student of the blue book these days, I am learning to sense when I should turn to the dictionary, and when I must seek definitions within The URANTIA Book. I have a strong suspicion that the word character means something vastly different to the authors of the blue book, than it does to us Urantians. The higher schools of the Local Universe are devoted to
“character acquired by enlightened experience. The teachers provide the enlightenment; the universe station and the ascender’s status afford the opportunity for experience; the wise utilization of these two augments character.” (UB 37:6.3)
Courage coupled with patient endurance is regarded as strength of character; fear and anger weaken it; it is something more than mere mind and morals. Whereas “personality is basically changeless; that which changes —grows—is the moral character”. (UB 140:4.7)
One thing is for sure — “under the spiritual influences of these ages (post-bestowal Son age), human character undergoes tremendous transformations and experiences phenomenal development”. (UB 52:5.8)
Maybe I am okay, perhaps Michael’s Spirit of Truth has character ennobled me. I might have unconsciously undergone a tremendous transformation of human character at birth, purely because of his spiritual influence. I hope so, because otherwise I am going to have to wait until I get to the mansion worlds to understand what character ennoblement is, let alone what I do to get it. So onto the other quality — the cultural augmentation.
When it comes to cultural augmentation, which culture am I supposed to augment? I verily suspect the culture of a universal citizen:
“Intelligence may control the mechanism of civilization, wisdom may direct it, but spiritual idealism is the energy which really uplifts and advances human culture from one level of attainment to another.” (UB 81:6.27)
Now when I piece all of the sources of explanation on the concepts of “character ennoblement and cultural augmentation”, of which the above represent a trifling percentage of the information provided on these topics in The URANTIA Book, my poor brain overloads, and every inch of me wants to relegate myself to the “peculiar character” category. Just when it all seems too much, I smile and thank God that He has given me a Thought Adjuster to sort all of these acquirements. All I have to do is attune my will to our Father’s will. The way, the why and the how will be explained at the appropriate time.
The more I study The URANTIA Book the more I appreciate that my intellect cannot absorb the information contained. I cannot produce a list of acquirements and strive valiantly towards their attainment, for the book is full of concepts, linguistic symbols, which my heart knows (thanks to Michael’s Spirit of Truth), but my Thought Adjuster is going to have an uphill battle in trying to get through the mind of this child of the twentieth century. But of one thing I am sure — God wants the teachings of Jesus to be applicable to me, and so it is up to me to leave myself open, willing and desirous of being character ennobled and culturally augmented.