© 2020 Gard Jameson
© 2020 Urantia Foundation
| Updates from the April 2020 Board Meeting | Volume 14, Issue 2, June 2020 — Index | Urantia Association's Second 24-Hour Online Event |
By Gard Jameson, treasurer, Urantia Foundation, Nevada, United States
Editor’s Note: Steve Dreier was a longtime reader of The Urantia Book who brokered a priceless donation to Urantia Foundation in 2016. Through Steve’s efforts, the Foundation received 103 boxes of books from the private collection of an anonymous donor. The collection included source books, other volumes by source authors, and publications by William and Lena Sadler. This gift prompted a major renovation of the basement, which now houses the Melchizedek Library and the exquisite Hall of the Life Carriers.
Steve lived in New Jersey with his wife, Bobbie. He graduated on April 5 after being hospitalized with the coronavirus. Bobbie is enhancing Steve’s legacy with the gift of his own personal collection of books to the library.
Steve Dreier has been a friend for 45 years and continues to be a friend, though he has recently ascended to the mansion worlds. Since I first saw him audaciously move from behind the lectern to grab a chair and have a conversation with those attending the conference in 1975 at Kendall College, I have been inspired by this son of God. His wit and wisdom have earned him a place of honor within our community. Similar to Jesus, he would often pose questions more than giving answers, suggesting that truth is more about an ongoing dialogue than a specific conclusion.
Florence and I had the privilege of having a one-onone Zoom session with Steve and Bobbie on Paper 110, “Relation of Adjusters to Individual Mortals,” over several recent months. We would take a few paragraphs at a time and really drill down in the material, to illuminate the text and inspire our souls. Steve was a consummate student of the revelation. In fact, he has been designated by some as our resident Rabbi! His smile and thoughtful engagement were infectious to those who knew him. Many are the times that I would seek his spiritual counsel on serious matters in my own spiritual journey. Always would I feel better after receiving his advisement.
Those that knew him know that he had a passion for the texts that were utilized by the revelatory commission in their presentation of the revelation. Not many have taken up the mantle to investigate those texts and their authors, but it is an important field of inquiry for any serious student of The Urantia Book. He and I would spend a great deal of time discussing this material and the implications. The following sources—Ralph Tyler Flewelling,_ Creative Personality_, (Papers 130, 132), Henry Nelson Wieman, The Issues of Life, (Paper 160), or Walter Bundy, (“The Faith of Jesus,” Paper 196)—are monumental and deserve deep reflection, for they speak to the awesome nature of revelation itself.
Mostly, I knew Steve as a friend. I was cheered by his presence and by his gracious manner. Watching and being with Steve and Bobbie was an inspiration for both my wife, Florence, and me. We got to spend some of the last days of his life with the two of them, reading the revelation, pondering the imponderables, and sharing humor and memories. Steve embodied what it means to be a son of God. For that I shall ever be thankful!
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| Updates from the April 2020 Board Meeting | Volume 14, Issue 2, June 2020 — Index | Urantia Association's Second 24-Hour Online Event |