© 1977 Kaye and William Cooper
© 1977 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
It has been man’s elusive goal throughout his history to learn the art of living. Throughout the ages men have felt there must be some secret technique to control circumstances so that they might live an ideal life. Only relatively seldom has it been discovered that the art of living lies not in the control of external factors but in one’s personal basic orientation toward spiritual priorities and a universe perspective.
Reordering our lives around spiritual priorities places persons rather than things as most important. We are about our Father’s work when we are genuinely relating to other personalities. Placing first priority on persons naturally leads to spending time with our families, our friends, other people (especially those who need help) and with spiritual persons-in meditation, prayer, and worship.
Centering our lives around spiritual priorities can still result in a distortion of the ideal life if we fail to attain a universe perspective-unity. We are travelling from the outer regions of the grand universe where the material, intellectual, and spiritual appear to be most separated, but our direction of travel is toward God and unity. We need to experience that truth, beauty, and goodness are all aspects of God. Material creation displays his beauty. Intelligence recognizes and interrelates grains of his truth. Spirit expresses his goodness. Living our mortal life demands balancing the material, intellectual, and spiritual. We have a unique opportunity to grapple with the puzzle of balanced growth and to discover how we may unify the three in our own beings as our Father unifies all matter, mind, and spirit in himself.
In our search for the art of living we may discover to our surprise that if we organize our lives around spiritual priorities, keep a universe perspective, and then go on about our business, our lives will inherently express their highest artistry and dignity.
— Kaye and Bill Cooper