© 1978 Irene Sprunger
© 1978 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
Truth has its origin in reality relationships. Truth is an attempt to understand the greatest relationship in the universe: divine love. The most significant revelation of love and truth to man on our world is Jesus of Nazareth. His Spirit of Truth unerringly guides us to all truth.
From an experiential point of view, we often empathize with Pilot’s observation, “Truth, what is truth — who knows?” (UB 185:3.5) In our experience we proceed from facts (knowledge) to truth, to wisdom in the progressive realization of reality — God. Truth is a universe value perceived by the spirit-stimulated mind, and is an experience of the soul. The discovery of truth is a supreme delight of evolving man. Experience leads man to hunger for truth.
Truth is basic to both science and philosophy, the intellectual foundation of religion. Truth is coherent and consistent and, therefore, a reliable criterion for action. It is lived with highly beneficial results. When truth, beauty, and goodness are integrated in human experience they tend to produce health and happiness. Truth achieves its highest expression in living. Truth is a living universe reality which cannot be imprisoned in dogma, creed, or philosophic expression.
The truths of experience can be confusing and even misleading when seen in isolation. We should strive to see every truth in its relational wholeness. Truth is beautiful and good. Spirit guidance is always essential in the discovery of truth. “God answers man’s prayers by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness.” (UB 91:8.11)
Larger insights and revelations of truth lead to new visions of reality, along with new freedoms and potentials for living. Truth in man’s experience is always relative and expanding. We should ever remember that one of the central purposes of group religious activity is to magnify the lures of truth, beauty, and goodness.
Irene Sprunger
Fort Wayne, Indiana