© 2024 Gaétan G. Charland
© 2024 Urantia Association of Quebec
Gaetan G. Charland
president@urantiaqc.org
Dear Members and Friends of the Association, As we begin this new year, I take this opportunity to extend my sincere wishes for a 2024 rich in service opportunities. May these opportunities nourish your spiritual growth and offer you multiple ways to share the teachings of The Urantia Book.
In this new period, why not consider joining an existing study group or creating your own? If this prospect does not inspire you, many course possibilities are offered in the various schools, available on the association’s website under the EDUCATION section.
I would also like to announce some sad news. Pierre Routhier, one of the pillars and founders of the Urantia movement in Quebec, left us peacefully in his sleep on December 15, at the age of 85. I had the privilege of meeting Pierre in 1988 during his visit to Roxanne Proulx’s study group, Les Pré-Morontiens. This meeting was the beginning of a sincere friendship with this remarkable man, with whom I later had the honor of serving as president of the Urantia Association of Quebec.
Pierre was an exceptional person, the originator of the foundations on which the AUQ rests, foundations that he built with dedication over many years. My memory of Pierre is that of an authentically good man, truly living the teachings he understood, always ready to help those who crossed his path. He was a model of service, loyalty, sincerity, human warmth, simplicity and generosity. He used to say: “I have time to give, but no time to lose”.
He left us, certainly happy at the idea of finding those who preceded him in the afterlife. Pierre left a significant mark on this world, through his simplicity and his courage. For many, he was an example to follow through his life dedicated to service. I wish him a peaceful transition and joyful reunions with his peers. And for those who wish to leave a message of sympathy to the family, you can do so by clicking on the following link.
I would also like to address an article that appeared in the press on December 18, entitled “What if we gave ourselves a burst of wisdom”. This article mentioned a book written by Amin Maalouf, a remarkable writer. What caught my attention was the insight and wisdom of this writer, particularly in his work “The Labyrinth of the Lost”, where he emphasizes: “Humanity is today experiencing one of the most perilous periods in its history.” In conclusion to his book, he quotes Shakespeare: “What has passed is only a prologue. What is to come depends on you and me.”
Recall this quote from The Urantia Book regarding our crucial time: “Urantia now quivers on the very brink of one of its most astounding and exciting epochs of social adjustment, moral stimulation, and spiritual enlightenment” (UB 195:9.2) Such periods, despite their challenges, are times of awe-inspiring revelation (UB 195:9.3).
So what can we do to help our world through this challenging time and emerge stronger? Each of us can make a significant contribution to the betterment of our society. There are many ways to serve and teach simultaneously, sharing these teachings in simple and effective ways. It all starts with living these teachings, integrating them not only into our minds, but also into our hearts. As The Urantia Book points out, “Religion needs new leaders, spiritual men and women who will dare to depend solely on Jesus and his incomparable teachings” (UB 195:9.4).
Are we ready to take up this challenge? I have always said, and I reiterate, that we all have the opportunity to share our thoughts in newspapers, expressing informed opinions that could be published and contribute to raising the consciousness of those who read them. Even if these opinions do not find their place in the columns, they will at least be read by the editor of the section. You can even write to the journalist who wrote the article that interested you.
I will conclude by quoting Amin Maalouf once again: “We must encourage people who think to find ways to make their opinions heard. To develop voices of serenity and wisdom within this ambient din. We must wage this fight. We really need a surge of wisdom.”
Are we ready to be those voices of wisdom?