© 1978 Mark Kulieke
© 1978 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
The process of spiritualizing our personalities unfolds in our relationships among men. “If once you understand your neighbor, you will become tolerant, and this tolerance will grow into friendship and ripen into love.” (UB 100:4.4) And, said Jesus: “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (UB 192:2.1)
We are further told that “It is not so important to love all men today as it is that each day you learn to love one more human being.” (UB 100:4.6) To keep up production on love implies that we must be learning to tolerate one more person each day, and this in turn implies that we are learning to understand one more person each day. The key to tolerance, love, and spiritual goodness is understanding — a function of mind.
The use of the word ‘learning’ in association with love and tolerance also implies intelligent effort, not a “…mere act of will” (UB 100:4.6) Kahlil Gibran has indicated that he learned “…toleration from the intolerant…” perhaps one useful approach. However, as always, the positive way of learning is found to be most effective the way exemplified by Jesus.
We witness in his life that Jesus was broadminded and fair, that he truly understood men and was generous in his sympathy, that he trusted men and was revered for his tolerance. If Jesus could find good in so many men, surely it is there to be found by us, too, if we undertake an energetic search.
At the most fundamental level, we learn from Jesus that love and tolerance are predicated upon faith, for he says in reference to the Spirit of Truth: “When the new teacher comes, let him teach you the poise of compassion and that sympathetic tolerance which is born of sublime confidence in me and of perfect submission to the Father’s will.” (UB 181:2.15)
Mark Kulieke
Evanston, Illinois