© 1979 Eugene Frazier
© 1979 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
Students of The URANTIA Book know well the many and varied forms of spiritual energy which the Father has provided so that someday we will come to know and be like him. One of the most inspiring points to this reader has been the description of those heroic mortals of Urantia who have dared to live as sons and daughters of the Father in faith.
One human who has been of personal interest from my first reading of The URANTIA Book is Ganid of India. This young man instantly impressed me with his genuine desire for truth without prejudice and his almost innocent sense of wonder at the things he and the Master discussed and accomplished. Also, I must admit, I get a bit jealous when I think of his experience being Jesus’ intimate friend for over a year and a half.
Ganid is introduced to us as a young man in search of answers. At first he was primarily interested in science and the arts; he had no discernible thought toward spiritual truths. But at Caesarea, only their second stop on the way to Rome, he became curious about his tutor’s ministry: “Why do you occupy yourself so continuously with these visits with strangers?” (UB 130:2.6) This question must have produced a smile when he remembered it in later life. It brought about a meeting which changed his life — a conference with Joshua the teacher in which he began to learn of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all men.
It was at the very next port of call, Alexandria, that Ganid began the brilliant summary of the world’s religions for which we remember him most. His manuscript UB 131:0.2. Obviously, Jesus had turned Ganid into an eager student in this short time. (Ganid’s enthusiasm recalls my first serious contact with The URANTIA Book. Like many readers, I became anxious to study it as much as possible in as short a time as was possible.) Ganid learned these teachings well, for Jesus told him that “‘. . you, my son, will be like this lighthouse when you return to India… you will become like the light of life to those who sit about you in darkness, showing all who so desire the way to reach the harbor of salvation in safety.’” And as Ganid squeezed Jesus’ hand, he said “‘I will.’” (UB 130:3.2)
While in Rome, Ganid was an assistant to the Master as he went among his people. One day they were on the way to the library, as these two would be on every possible occasion. But this time, they immediately abandoned the visit to return a lost boy to his home. Ganid, in contrast to our previous views of him, did not hesitate in devoting his day to the boy’s welfare. He had begun to live the life of a faith son. “And from that day forward, for the remainder of his natural life, Ganid was continually on the lookout for lost children woom he might restore to their homes,” (UB 132:6.1) What better definition of spiritual service can we need?
It often takes a dramatic situation in life to bring a deeper understanding of the ideals to which a faith son or daughter is committed. The violent incidents at Fair Havens and near Tarentum, and the meeting with the women of Corinth were lessons that mercy is needed where punishment would normally be given. Even many of Jesus followers today find the meaning of non-resistance unsettling: even though millions claim to believe his teaching on this subject, there is very little evidence of mass practice.
By the time Ganid and Jesus parted, the young man’s total devotion to his Master and his teaching had ripened. In Antioch, Ganid had put his beliefs into action by talking to a disheartened man about the Father’s love. He told Jesus. “‘I will remember your teaching, but most of all, I will never forget you.’” (UB 133:9.4) he told Jesus. He was true to this promise.
When I remember Ganid, the trait that always comes to mind is his curiosity. It is this — the admirable manner in which he sincerely pursued the truth, wherever it might be, without letting preconceived thoughts stop his progress — that speaks to me most when I run into my mind’s own obstacles on the long search for the Father. It is important to be constantly hungering for the source of truth, beauty, and goodness. Only by avoiding this staleness in a life dedicated to spiritual truth, staleness which can only lead to stagnation and decay, will the
Adjuster be allowed to foster growth. As Jesus directed the natural inquisitiveness of Ganid in the direction of universal values, Gonod, his father, remarked: “‘I propose to make a scholar or a businessman of my son, and now you start out to make a philosopher or philanthropist of him.’ And Jesus smilingly replied: ‘Perhaps we will make him all four; then can he enjoy a fourfold satisfaction in life as his ear for the recognition of human melody will be able to recognize four tones instead of one.’” (UB 132:6.3) What more could anyone ask for than to become a “four tone” person like Ganid?
— Eugene Frazier
Sacramento, California