© 2024 M. José Sánchez
© 2024 Urantia Association of Spain
| Luz y Vida — Febrero 2024 — Newsletter | Luz y Vida — Febrero 2024 | Urantia Questionnaire: Ramiro Cuestas |
In “Urantian” meetings and forums, it is common for readers to talk about how we have investigated quite a few books or groups looking for something that fully satisfies us, without feeling fully identified with their proposals, until we reach the blue book.
In this heterogeneous group of readers from around the world, who we could label as “spiritual seekers,” there is a desire to discover the ultimate reality and achieve that extraordinary mandate that resonates in the universes:
“Be perfect as I am perfect.” UB 1:0.3
Not all of us respond in the same way to this call that our divine Adjuster makes to us from within. In accordance with this, not all of us interpret and read The Urantia Book in the same way.
This extensive and hopeful text that is the blue book lends itself to being approached in different ways that, for the readers of the book, we can summarize as:
- Superficial seekers or “listeners.”
- True seekers or “practitioners.”
Listening seekers are satisfied with mere theories. They listen to interesting lectures on YouTube, read about spiritual truths in thoughtful articles, or argue endlessly about that word they don’t consider correct, but they DO NOT make an honest effort to APPLY those teachings in their own lives. We are talking about seekers driven by curiosity, by the excitement of discovering or being above others, but who stay on the surface of this vast ocean that is The Urantia Book. It would be as if we were satisfied only by reading or listening to lectures about the wonders of ginger, but never got around to trying it.
But true students find satisfaction only when they can understand the truth within themselves, as a PERSONAL and direct EXPERIENCE. They feel that the longings of their souls are fulfilled, for their daily life is a succession of causalities and wonders that manifest divine unconditional love. Moreover, they have finally understood The Urantia Book because they have grasped its meaning: true religion consists of conscious communion with God, in experiencing increasing satisfaction, as well as an increase in peace, wisdom and inner security, as we perceive divine love within and with us.
Do we feel portrayed in one of these two types of readers? Are we readers who love to swallow good and beautiful ideas, but we do not care about making them part of our lives? Do we suffer from some kind of “indigestion” of theoretical content, which drives us to argue with other brothers? Or do we rather reformulate our family, work, and spiritual relationships with greater joy, love, and compassion? Or perhaps we have gone from a more external or superficial way of living spirituality to living it more fully, with the experience of years? Each one will know how to look into his heart for his inner truth.
Let this brief reflection that we propose from our February newsletter serve to focus the study of The Urantia Book. Our objective is to spread the teachings of the fifth revelation by showing this original and beautiful way that allows us to find ourselves: the religion of conscious communion with God. That is our approach to the study of the book: to encourage “practicing”, conscious and honest readers or students.
In this issue of the Urantia Association of Spain newsletter we are going to show you works, reviews and reflections; but nothing would make sense if we do not encourage you, dear reader who is now reading these lines, to connect with the one who gives us existence, nourishes us and loves us, just as Jesus of Nazareth did.
Courage, then, in this journey of life and in which we want to accompany you with our newsletter. Let us seek together, then, to become conscious people at the service of the truth and of others.
That Sunday afternoon Salome, the mother of James and John Zebedee, came to Jesus with her two apostle sons, and addressing him as though he were an Eastern potentate, she tried to get Jesus to promise to grant her any request she might make. But the Master would not promise anything and asked: “What do you want me to do for you?” Salome replied: “Master, now that you are going to Jerusalem to establish the kingdom, I would ask you to promise me in advance that these sons of mine will be honored with you and will sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 171:0.4
Let’s think about the powerful people of the world. At a celebration they occupy the prominent places, they monopolize the covers of newspapers or social networks. Around them there is a legion of people attentive to their whims. If they are authorities, they sign documents with a silver pen and photographers. If they are public officials, they travel in official cars. If their power lies in money, they get their whims met with a golden VISA.
Then there are the powerful people of everyday life. That is, the people who have some responsibility over someone: bosses at work, teachers at educational stages, etc. They make decisions, they influence their environment.
To prosper would be to climb the ladder of authority, prestige, and power. To become strong.
Well, the logic of God and his gospel is not this. Of course there is power, of course there are people who, for whatever reason, enjoy more standing, and others pay more attention to them.
Now, leaders must serve. Here is the surprising twist of the message of Jesus of Nazareth. Leaders must serve. Whoever wants perks, adulation, applause, and camaraderie, should look elsewhere. Whoever thinks about spending his life, his time, his energy, and creativity on others, is welcome. As simple and blunt as that.
Jesus answered Salome: “Woman, you do not know what you ask,” and fixing his eyes on the two aspirants for honors, he said: "Because I have known you and loved you for a long time and have even lived in your mother’s house, because Andrew has charged you to be with me at all times, for all this you allow your mother to come to me in secret to make this most inadmissible request. 171:0.5
Jesus looks indignantly at two of his apostles and reproaches his mother for an inconceivable request. At this point, have they not yet realized what he has said so many times? Do not even his closest friends listen to him? And if we reflect on it now, do we really believe Jesus’ message about being at the service of others? Would Jesus also stare at us while telling us something similar?
Perhaps there are those who think that this service thing only causes us loss. Of course, emptying ourselves so much, the only thing it causes us is to waste ourselves. That if you live for others they will take advantage of you, they will squeeze you and you will end up exhausted. But that is not true, service is not emptying ourselves until we become extinct, but another way of filling ourselves. With other lives, other names, other faces. Does it enrich you? Yes, although with something more intangible than wealth or submission. It fills our days with stories, it fills our horizon with shared successes and failures, it fills our life with life.
It changes our outlook and perspective, and that allows us to perceive in the other not a rival, an enemy, a stranger or a servant, but a brother. Service frees us from the spiral of having to go around demonstrating triumph, strength or prestige; it helps us enter into a different dynamic: that of someone who looks at the world from below and not from an aseptic ivory tower.
If you would share the joy of the Master you must share his love, and sharing his love means that you have shared his service. This experience of love will not free you from the difficulties of this world, it will not create a new world, but it will surely make the old world new. 180:1.5
And what is serving? In a beautiful image with enormous emotional charge, it is bending down to wash the feet of the traveler with dusty feet before a dinner, without claiming privileges of rank or position. It is putting ourselves at the level of those who are the most fallen to help them get up. It is emptying your life a little of yourself to fill it with others.
The concrete forms are innumerable. A caress can be a service, but also the firmness of someone who closes a door in certain circumstances. An enveloping and affectionate word can be a service, but also a sincere word, even if it generates conflict. A humble and anonymous task can be a service, and so can the most visible and exposed work. In the end, what it is about is making the lives of others a little better, because there are always people in need of a friendly word, time spent or a new opportunity.
We believe this attitude of service is what should be the note of the readers of The Urantia Book, what we can build together, what inspires us in the preparation of the Light and Life newsletter. Are we selfish, irascible, clumsy in understanding these great truths of the book? Well, yes, there is some of that in us, but God listens to the call of our heart and has provided us with this beautiful blue book. Let’s enjoy it. Let’s live it.
Discover with us the small treasures that we offer you and that we hope will allow you to discover the wonders of the divine plan in our universe:
- Bill Sadler will offer some comments on the Foreword to The Urantia Book.
- We will reflect on some criticisms made of The Urantia Book by Dr. William S. Sadler.
- John Lee will make a study of some scientific aspects of The Urantia Book.
- Ken Glasziou will reflect on Consciousness, determinism and materialism.
- You can also read the Chronicle of the life of Jesus (a wonderful summary of paper 152).
- The Urantia Book Guide for Children: Jesus at 17 years old.
- Other books on spiritual growth: Zen or awakening in daily life (Roland Yuno Rech).
- The recommended video of the month is: Will you join me? The journey begins! (from the YouTube channel “Neurophysiology of the spirit”).
- The beautiful story that we offer this month in the “Navigating through life” section: The wise man and the scorpion.
- Darío Franco will tell us about his favorite paragraph from the book.
- Ramiro Cuestas answers the “Urantian Questionnaire” this month.
- And regarding the virtual conferences, the UBIS presentation will be given by M. Helena Bañas and the Urantian talk for the month of February will be given by Jeannie Vazquez on the topic of Thought Adjusters, on Friday, February 23.
Let me end with a story from a beautiful book by a Catholic priest:
«Jesus taught his disciples in parables. And he said to them:
The kingdom of heaven is like two brothers who lived happily and contentedly, until they received the call from God to become disciples.
The eldest responded generously to the call, although he had to watch his heart break as he was separated from his family and the girl he loved and dreamed of marrying. But in the end, he left for a distant country, where he spent his own life serving the poorest of the poor. A persecution broke out in that country, as a result of which he was arrested, falsely accused, tortured and sentenced to death.
And the Lord said to him: “Well done, faithful and dutiful servant. You have served me for the value of a thousand talents. I will reward you with a billion talents. Enter into the joy of your Lord!”.
The younger man’s response was much less generous. He decided to ignore the call, go on his way, and marry the girl he loved. He enjoyed a happy marriage, did well in business, and became rich and prosperous. From time to time he gave alms to a beggar or was kind to his wife and children. He also occasionally sent a small sum of money to his older brother in a remote country, enclosing a note saying, “Perhaps with this you can help those poor devils better.”
When his time came, the Lord said to him: “Well done, faithful and dutiful servant. You have served me for ten talents. I will reward you with a billion talents. Enter into the joy of your Lord!”.
The older brother was surprised to hear that his brother was going to receive the same reward as him, but he was very pleased. And he said: “Lord, even knowing this, if I had to be born again and live again, I would do for you exactly what I have done.”
This is really good news: a generous Lord and a disciple who serves him for the mere joy of serving with love.
¶ References
- Index of the magazine “Luz y Vida” of the Association of Spain
- This article from the magazine “Luz y Vida Online”
| Luz y Vida — Febrero 2024 — Newsletter | Luz y Vida — Febrero 2024 | Urantia Questionnaire: Ramiro Cuestas |