© 2001 Séverin Desbuisson, Jean Royer, Guy Bourhis, Jean-François Drouet, Dominique Ronfet, Jean-Claude Romeuf, Christine Baussain
© 2001 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
Journal of the association L'A.F.L.L.U. French-speaking Association of Readers of the URANTIA Book
Member of the I.U.A.
Head office:
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¶ A Word from the President
Dear readers,
Like the spring that enchants us, this issue will seduce you with its multiple colors:
First, there are the hues of human experience and brotherhood. In this context, I invite you to join us at the next meeting of readers of The Urantia Book on May 18, 2001 at Notre Dame des Lumières;
Then those of the fruits of the work of all the readers who voluntarily serve the interests of the book and its teachings. Some of these actions may seem hesitant, even clumsy like the buds of the first beautiful days, but there are also beautiful flowers to come or already in formation. On the national level, preparatory meetings for the 2002 conference are underway. On the international level, I am pleased to inform you of a very recent agreement ending the trademark and copyright disputes between the Fellowship and the Foundation, you will know more very soon;
Finally I leave you to appreciate the subtle reflections of Urantian poetry. Enjoy your reading,
Severin Desbuisson
President of the A.F.L.L.U.
¶ Summary
- The President’s Word by Séverin Desbuisson
- Democracy by Jean Royer
- Living the will of our Father: a daily experience by Guy Bourhis
- Good behavior by Sylvette Perrier
- Relaxation corner: The mason and the great architect by Jean-François Drouet
- Poem by Dominique Ronfet
- The text of the “Treasure” explained by Flora by Jean-Claude Romeuf
- Poem by Sylvette Perrier
- Gazette section: At the mother house by Christine Baussain
- I wait, you wait, he waits, we… by Jean Royer
- The little bottle is still filling by Guy Bourhis
- Urantia Book study groups around the world by Jean Royer
- Registration forms
❧ 1955 URANTIA Foundation. All rights reserved. These materials from The URANTIA Book are used with permission. Any artistic depiction(s), interpretation(s), opinion(s) or conclusion(s) implied or stated are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of URANTIA Foundation or its affiliates.
Legal deposit: December 1997 — ISSN 1285-1116
Subscription in 1998: 100 FF per year (approximately 4 issues)
¶ Democracy
There is not a single Urantia Book viewpoint on democracy. On the one hand, we are told: Neither democracy nor any other political panacea will replace spiritual progress. (UB 195:6.10) Popular elections do not always decide the right thing to do, but they do represent the right way to make even a mistake. (UB 71:2.8)
We are also warned of the dangers of democracy: For these are the dangers of democracy:
Jean Royer
¶ Living the will of our Father: a daily experience
I was very struck by the speech given by Nicholas W. SCALZO (USA) at the IUA international conference in August 2000 and reproduced in the latest issue of the journal of this association, page 3 (September 2000, volume 7, nº 3).
Nicholas recounts experiences he had doing God’s will and letting his mystery monitor “adjust” his thinking, that is, allowing him to substitute for the selfish and sterile thinking of his host, that which reflects Truth, Love and Service, in short the perfect thinking that would be that of God if he lived our lives in our place.
Guy Bourhis
¶ Good behavior
He who believes in the 5th Revelation, who has finally had the grace to know The Urantia Book, to read it regularly, to do his best to ensure his survival, to go in the direction of the Divine Plan, Who wants in all things of his life to do the Will of the Father, prays and entrusts himself to the guidance of his Adjuster. But if, apparently and often, in the situations of everyday life, he does not always see the line to follow (despite his prayers and his good will) he must have present in mind “to go in the direction of Truth, Beauty and Goodness”. It is easy to say, but not always to do!
Here are five imaginary examples (completely imaginary, I must add) that can illustrate similar situations on the Fund, where two of these criteria out of the three are present. So where is the Best Good in this case?
Sylvette Perrier
¶ Relaxation Corner
¶ The Mason and the Great Architect
In a Chinese province there lived a mason.
He had worked for several contractors and had given them complete satisfaction.
One day he met a young woman who worked with the greatest architect in the region. They liked each other, fell in love and got married.
A few months later, a happy event occurred and this gave the mason the idea of building his own house, instead of continuing to rent.
He told his wife about it, who was delighted with the project and suggested that he call on her boss. He himself knew him by reputation and his wife confirmed that he was a great master in Feng Shui for the choice of land, the location and orientation of the house, the layout of the environment and the interior arrangements.
Jean-François Drouet
¶ Regain
Man is an island, surrounded by his fears.
He sees dangerous blades in the waves that touch him.
Man is an island that shelters ferocious beasts.
But he does not see them, and thinks he hears the wind roaring in the distance.
Man is an island inhabited by the Friend.
And when his storms have passed,
Let silence return to settle on its lands
He can hear her whisper.
But does he want it?
Dominique Ronfet
¶ The treasure text explained by Flora
(Refer to previous Link)
Some have asked Flora how she interpreted the text of the Treasure. She will try to answer this question, despite a certain reluctance. Indeed, at the beginning this text was intended to fulfill the function of a parable. However, as everyone knows, the approach to a parable is not done through a total analytical understanding. An analysis that is too severe leads to different interpretations which, instead of uniting readers or listeners, lead them on the contrary to verbal quarrels where each defends his point of view. The result is then the opposite of the hoped-for goal which was the search for a mental and spiritual union.
“I simply wish,” Flora explained, “that the little Tom Thumb that you all are, would receive the message as it was told. The truth is often better perceived by the innocent heart of a child than by the rigorous thought of an adult.”
Jean-Claude Romeuf
¶ To my immortal soul (compared to the rose)
Immeasurable nostalgia,
Rocks day and night.
Sweet incurable wound
Who rolls me towards Infinity…
Roll and pitch, night ship
Under the blue moon.
Hurry up and get out of the well,
stormy oceans.
Hurry up, the night will die,
Beyond the black waves.
Already pointing to the future
A nightmare dawn.
Poem written in 1963 by Sylvette Perrier
¶ Gazette section
¶ At the mother house
It was as head of the Urantia office in Paris (Urantia France SA) that I had the chance, at the end of January, to spend a week at the Foundation’s headquarters in Chicago. I then had the joy of meeting personally - finally each of the members of the team, in a human and professional rapprochement that breathed new life into our collaboration. Richard and Colette, from the Quebec office, who had come at the same time to take advantage of the opportunity, added their energy and good humor to the ambient emulation.
Christine Baussain
¶ Reminder… Appendices to the study of the Master Universe by Sadler junior
Is it the parousia, the return of Michael, or the arrival of Machiventa in his position as planetary vice-manager? No, what we are all waiting for, and many without even knowing it, is the publication of the Appendices to the study of the Master Universe by Sadler junior.
Apparently little is new in this book, since all the arguments are based on The Urantia Book. Yes, almost everything is in The Urantia Book, but none of us has seen it with such clarity, none of us has glimpsed the many deductions that can be made from an in-depth view of the work.
All those who have been able to read Sadler junior’s work have come away from it as if illuminated by the clarity and obviousness of his theses.
So, what are we waiting for to publish it? It’s simple, the AFLUB doesn’t have the funds. It would be necessary to find about 30,000 F so that the translators’ work does not remain at the bottom of a drawer, to the great displeasure of potential readers.
Are there not among all the readers of the Urantia Book some sowers who would dare to sow at the risk of losing all or part of the seed?
If you have any funds or valid ideas, please contact Joseph Ledain or our new secretary, Christine Baussin, at the AFLUB address.
Jean Royer
¶ The little bottle is still filling up
On Christine’s advice (Cf. “Le lien” n¹5 Autumn 2000), I reread chapter 7 of issue 87. In doing so, nothing happened to me as Christine had predicted! — but I was struck by the content of the paragraph devoted to “new” symbolism.
“Even the reaffirmation of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and adequate symbolism. Modern men must find symbols appropriate to their new ideals, to their new and expanding ideas and obediences. This higher symbolism of a higher civilization must arise from religious life, from spiritual experience. It must be based on the concept of the Fatherhood of God and contain the powerful ideal of the brotherhood of man.”
Guy Bourhis
¶ Urantia Book Study Groups Around the World
The Fellowship has just published its directory of Urantia Book study groups 2000-2001. It is interesting to note that while the United States is by far the most represented: 17.5 pages are devoted to it (6.5 for the rest of the world), the rest of the continent also appears. 22 groups for Canada, plus 10 groups for French-speaking Quebec, 1 group in Argentina, 6 groups in Chile, 7 groups in Colombia, 1 group in Costa Rica and 1 group in Ecuador. We also find Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
In Africa, 9 groups, ranging from Senegal to South Africa, passing through Guinea, Togo, Gabon, Nigeria, Zambia and Zaire.
There are 10 study groups in Australia; it is true that this is an English-speaking country.
Europe is more represented in the north than in the south, with: Belgium 3 groups, Estonia 4 groups, England 4 groups. But there are also Denmark, Finland, Norway, Hungary, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and Greece.
And France, you might say? It is only represented by two groups, to which we could add a group from Tahiti.
There are also one or more study groups in India, Korea, Japan, and Laos, but it seems that in these last two cases it is Anglo-Saxon emigrants who are in charge.
Finally, to finish with islands, there is a group in Micronesia, the Philippines and Malta.
These are just the bands that have been willing to make themselves known, there are certainly more readers than this list shows.
Is this disappointing or encouraging after half a century of revelation? It’s up to you to decide.
Jean Royer
¶ A quick reminder of the prices of works published by the A.F.L.L.U.
| The Urantia Book, hardcover, 18 x 25 format | 327.00 F inc. VAT |
| The Urantia Book, soft cover, 15 x 20 format | 190.00 F incl. VAT |
| The Urantia Book on CD-ROM | 146.00 F incl. VAT |
| The veil is lifted | 69.50 F incl. VAT |
| A study of the Master Universe | 89.50 F incl. VAT |
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