© 2014 James Perry MD
© 2014 International Urantia Association (IUA)
| President’s Message | Tidings — December 2014 — Index | 2015 Easter Spirit Renewal and Sacred Art Retreat |
We have assembled here for the 12th Annual Virginia Carolina Readers Mini Conference. We are a small group, and the question naturally arises about why we do this. Why spend so much of our time relatively speaking on one endeavor. We have been studying these intriguing revelations for years, and on face value, it would appear that we have not made much progress in bringing these revelations to the world. But I would ask you to consider these thoughts as you ponder in your mind whether or not it is worth the effort.
We who have embraced these revelations have accepted by faith that these revelations were given to our planet by spiritual beings. And as we view the authors of the various “papers,” we come to understand that a great deal of effort and preparation went into preparing these revelations, and that they was authorized by the highest time-space authority, the Ancients of Days, our Superuniverse Rulers. These revelations reveal truth from Paradise on down to the lowly planet where Christ Michael himself incarnated in the human form of Jesus of Nazareth. The purpose of these revelations is to transform the world and prepare our planet to be ushered into the era of light and life, the goal of all evolutionary progress.
We are the beginning of a long list of trainees/leaders who are preparing the soil for those who come after us, to advance these revelations in the world until that distant day when the world is prepared to enter the era of light and life. And though it is only natural that we would like to see some transformation of our world during our stay here, we are not likely to see that happen on any grand scale. But what we are preparing to do for the future of mankind, we can do in our individual lives right here and now. We can wholeheartedly embrace these truths and the accompanying instructions to enter the era of light and life now.
Consider this:
In some of the older universes we find worlds settled in the fifth and the sixth stages of light and life —even far extended into the seventh epoch —whose local systems are not yet settled in light. Younger planets may delay system unification, but this does not in the least handicap the progress of an older and advanced world. Neither can environmental limitations, even on an isolated world, thwart the personal attainment of the individual mortal; Jesus of Nazareth, as a man among men, personally achieved the status of light and life over nineteen hundred years ago on Urantia. [UB 55:11.7]
My take on this is that even though our world as large may be retarded, we as individuals who chose to do the Father’s will are not penalized by the mass of humanity who choose not to do the Father’s will.
Like our elder brother Jesus, we can influence those within our social range by living these truths. And those who are truth seekers, will embrace those truths that they see displayed in our lives. And we should not be dismayed that it may take some time for them to receive, grasp, and incorporate these truths in their lives even as it took time for us to do the same thing. Even when the soil is fertile, it takes time for a seed to come up. Remember, every sincere contact with another changes the contacting parties in some way, even though it may not be discernable. A ship passing through the ocean changes the relationship of the water molecules the one to the other, even though those changes are not apparent to the observer.
In meeting here today, as in all other meetings, we have come to know each other better, to know something of the reactions to the life we are living, to learn to understand each other better, and ultimately learn to accept each other and love each other as Jesus does. This is the spiritual purpose of all socialization. So whether our gathering be small or large, the positive effect is still the same.
When we study together and present our understanding of the topics, we all benefit. The group potential far exceeds the potential of the sum of individuals. Some new meaning that may have escaped us may become crystal clear during such gatherings. Besides, individual study, while a good thing, can often become derailed unless a definite time is set aside to do so. It requires a discipline that may be lacking by the individual that is fostered and compensated by the group. When we participate in study groups, we overcome the limitations of solitary study. Since some of the material is difficult to comprehend, two heads are better than one. And finally we study to prepare ourselves for the next life.
James Perry MD
kstg13a@aol.com
¶ References
| President’s Message | Tidings — December 2014 — Index | 2015 Easter Spirit Renewal and Sacred Art Retreat |