© 2006 Merlyn Cox
© 2006 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
The Urantia Community is a diverse, talent rich, and complex community. As it continues to grow, it will surely become even more so. This can be both a source of satisfaction and of some consternation, for while I stand in awe of the gifts and graces of individuals in the community, I am at times dismayed at the lack of unity and common vision. Realistically, it should not come as a surprise; idealistically, it is disappointing and even discouraging at times.
However, I’m constrained to believe that such diversity is not just the failure of imperfect mortals to comprehend and live by divine mandates; it is, in part, a natural consequence of God’s overall plan.
Not long ago a member of our study group expressed puzzlement at the bewildering array of different creatures outlined in The Urantia Book — and we are told that there are even greater numbers not revealed. Especially for new readers, it can appear overwhelmingly and unreasonably complex. Why couldn’t God have created a simpler universe?
There is, I think, a good reason for this. It isn’t just that the universe has to be a complex place for mortals to exist, it is that the Creator-Father desires to share responsibilities for that universe at every level and in every way possible. That means a diversity of natures and gifts that appears almost limitless, each with its own unique place in the overall design of things.
In the New Testament Paul uses the image of the church as the body of Christ. It is an image that has had some unfortunate implications — namely, that the church is the sole and whole expression of the work of the Risen Lord on earth; in other words, “God has no hands but ours.”
Nevertheless, there is an important core of truth in the image. A body must have many parts, each functioning properly, for it to function as a whole. It needs arms and feet and hearts and hands, as well as a head. You can’t say that one is important and another is not. The same is true with gifts within any community. Each gift is needed. Every gift is important to the whole and the whole cannot be what it is intended to be without it.
The image of the church as a living organism is akin to that of The Urantia Book and the nature of the Supreme. God not only creates diverse personalities (albeit in groups of kindred spirits), he gives unique gifts to all, gifts that at various levels are needed for the well being of the whole. Not only is each personality unique in all the universe, each person (or creature) is given a gift and task. Each shares in the ongoing creative process and in the growth and fulfillment of the Supreme.
I’ve found the insights of Elizabeth O’Conner to be especially helpful in this regard. In a book entitled The Eighth Day of Creation, she says we are all gifted, and more than this, our calling in life is closely tied to the discovery of those gifts.
We often wonder, she says, what we should be doing in life and how can we contribute to the work of the kingdom, when, in fact, the answer is written into the very fabric of our being — it is outlined and blueprinted by the nature of our gifts. What we should be doing for the advancement of the kingdom is discovering and using those gifts.
We often wonder, she says, what we should be doing in life and how can we contribute to the work of the kingdom, when, in fact, the answer is written into the very fabric of our being-it is outlined and blueprinted by the nature of our gifts.
One of the primary purposes of the religious community is to call forth and support the gifts of its people, to be sure that they are recognized and used for the good of humankind as well as for the glory of God. Many of the more creative churches of our time do just that, they help people find their gifts, give them appropriate training, and then hold them accountable for their use.
When people find their calling in life by discovering and using their gifts, they often have a sense of being destined for that work. As many have expressed it, “I feel I was born to do this.” We are in a real sense predestined by our gifts. Our free will will always remain inviolate, but the gifts and talents of our nature will bend the course of our journey in time and eternity, including, no doubt, those gifts we have not yet discovered.
Along with such diversity comes inherent differences of perception and understanding. Un-kindred spirits do not tend to think alike. Midwayers, and even angels, we are told, do not always agree, and these disagreements often come from the tension between their appointed tasks and resultant perspectives. In our Paradise journey, there will be courts of arbitration all the way to the shores of Havona.
It is not surprising then, that even the wisest and best intentioned mortals must constantly negotiate differences of perception and opinion. The Urantia Community will certainly never be exempt from this.
I believe, however, that we can, in love, grow to understand and appreciate our diversity and differences, even as we strive to be true to our own calling. We can each be true to our own best insights without casting aspersion on others. When we do, our unity in spirit will overshadow our lack of unity in thinking, and in the end, we can affirm and trust that all things will work together and contribute to the whole in ways we do not yet understand. Its puzzlement and problems may haunt us in time, but in eternity its glory and wisdom will surely be revealed.
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