© 2024 Olga López
© 2024 Urantia Association of Spain
Bulletin of the Urantia Association of Spain
Light and Life — January 2025
¶ In this issue
- Editorial – January 2025 — M. José Sánchez Santamaría
- Jobs – our recommendations of the month
- History and teachings: Chronicle of the life of Jesus
- The Urantia Book Children’s Guide: Jesus Brings Judah to Jerusalem
- Other books on spiritual growth
- Recommended video
- Navigating through life: The confused tree
- Ideas taken from the Circle of Trust group: the truth
- My favorite paragraph — Jan Herca
-Urantian Questionnaire
¶ Editorial – January 2025 — Mr. José Sánchez Santamaría
NEW YEAR
New year, 2025, which comes with new plans in sight, goals, dreams of improving and growing. Haven’t we all thought during these holidays about aspects of our lives that we would like to leave behind with the year 2024? And at the same time, are there things that we have considered developing in the new year?
This moment of closure, of clearing our lives of certain cobwebs that we have accumulated over time and reluctance, almost inevitably invites us to create new horizons in our lives, because we do not like to leave voids, gaps, unfinished spaces in our lives. Something stirs inside us with the end of one year and the warm beginning of a new one. A question appears in our heads: what will 2025 bring us?
Those of us who read and want to put The Urantia Book into practice know that nothing really bad is going to happen to us, that everything will be for our good and growth, guided by a loving hand:
Jesus’ peace of mind was founded on an absolute human faith in the wise and compassionate care of the divine Father. Jesus had difficulties on earth, he has even been improperly called “man of sorrows”, but in all these experiences he had the consolation of a confidence that always gave him strength to continue forward with the purpose of his life in the full assurance that he was fulfilling the will of the Father. UB 181:1.8
¶ Jobs – our recommendations of the month
Family life on the neighboring planet (Olga López)
In this presentation, and within the framework of the Symposium on the Family organized by the Urantia Foundation in June 2024, the author focuses on the family life of the neighboring planet, which is discussed at some length in paper 72, more specifically in section 3 of this document. To do this, the measures taken in the nation of the neighboring planet are first presented, and then the situation of the Urantia societies is described, mainly in Spain, which can serve as a reference for a country that belongs to the Western world.
Utopia as certainty (Olga López)
For centuries, there have been many attempts to imagine perfect societies where peace and harmony reign, and where human beings develop their full potential. And it is here where The Urantia Book fills us with hope when the revelators affirm that utopia is not something unattainable, but rather it is part of the planetary destiny and a sure goal in the planetary times of mortals. And not only that: it offers brilliant reflections on the State, democracy and other human institutions, as well as recipes for improving them that would be feasible if there was the will to apply them.
The education of children in the family: the example of Jesus (Olga López)
As readers committed to the teachings of the book, we want a guide that will help us educate children in the teachings of the fifth revelation. Although there are no specific documents on this subject, the book contains many pearls of wisdom here and there that can serve and inspire us. In this presentation, the author focuses on the example that Jesus gave us as a father-brother of his earthly family, and also on the teachings he offered regarding the education of children and how he viewed them.
The Urantia Book and the collapse of the capitalist era (Jan Herca) (Alternative link: PDF on the association’s website)
Despite not being the dominant discourse among governments and the media, more and more voices are being raised against the perfect storm that we face as humanity at this point in the 21st century: the climate crisis combined with the energy crisis, in which all countries are being affected in one way or another. Given the bleak outlook that is presented, the author of this essay takes a look at The Urantia Book, which he states “is extensive in describing catastrophic situations without at any time giving us the impression that such dramatic events had a special celestial intervention.” Will this situation be different from the previous ones? In this essay, the author gives his answer.
¶ History and teachings: Chronicle of the life of Jesus
JOURNALISTIC ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE URANTIA BOOK
We present to you the next installment of the chronicles of the life of Jesus, which on this occasion contains what the revelators tell us in paper 162 (At the Feast of Tabernacles). Inside the PDF you will see a button from which you can access the text of the document from the Urantia Foundation website.
¶ Urantia Book Children’s Guide: Jesus Brings Judah to Jerusalem
We continue our review of the secondary work A Child’s Guide to The Urantia Book, by Mary Livingston. This is the next chapter, which deals with the events surrounding Jesus and Judah’s trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
“Judah was very excited about his first visit to the temple. On their way they saw Lazarus, and Jesus stopped to talk to him. He wanted to celebrate the Passover meal with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. While they were talking, Judah had gotten into serious trouble.”
Download the full chapter in PDF format
¶ Other books on spiritual growth
Emotional Alchemy (Tara Bennett-Goleman)
Alchemists turned lead into gold. And Bennett-Goleman reminds us that, like them, we can all transform moments of confusion or emotional pain into moments of clarity.
This book explores our mind and teaches us that everything that worries us fits into ten basic emotional patterns (including fear of abandonment, social exclusion and vulnerability). But it also shows us how to free ourselves from them and replace them with empathy thanks to the practice of mindfulness, the emotional alchemy that can change the structure of our mind through conscious application in the field of emotions.
¶ Recommended video
How to study The Urantia Book with AI (Urantia Philosophy)
This video from the Urantia Philosophy channel shows how you can use Artificial Intelligence to further your study of The Urantia Book. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the complexity of this fascinating book, this tutorial is for you. It will teach you step-by-step how to leverage technological tools to analyze excerpts, ask critical questions, and get detailed answers that will help you elevate your spiritual understanding. You’ll learn how to select the excerpts or chapters that interest you the most, how to upload them to an AI platform, and how to formulate questions or prompts to get the best information possible. You’ll see how AI can become your study assistant and help you reflect and delve deeper into key concepts of The Urantia Book, such as the Thought Adjuster, the Supreme Deity, and many more.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8vz9fNQxbQ
¶ Navigating through life: The confused tree
Once upon a time, there was a place, which could be any place, and a time, which could be any time, there was a beautiful garden, with apple trees, orange trees, pear trees and beautiful rose bushes, all of them happy and satisfied.
All was joy in the garden, except for one deeply sad tree. The poor thing had a problem: he didn’t know who he was.
“What you lack is concentration,” the apple tree told him. “If you really try, you can have tasty apples. Do you see how easy it is?”
“Don’t listen to him,” the rosebush demanded. “It’s easier to have roses. Do you see how beautiful they are?”
And the tree, desperate, tried everything they suggested, and since he couldn’t be like the others, he felt more and more frustrated.
One day the owl, the wisest of birds, came to the garden and, seeing the tree’s despair, exclaimed:
—Don’t worry, your problem is not so serious, it is the same as many beings on Earth. I will give you the solution: do not dedicate your life to being what others want you to be. Be yourself, know yourself, and to achieve this, listen to your inner voice —. And with that said, the owl disappeared.
“My inner voice? Being myself? Knowing myself?” the desperate tree asked himself. And suddenly, he understood. He closed his eyes and ears, opened his heart and was finally able to hear his inner voice, which told him:
“You will never bear apples because you are not an apple tree, nor will you bloom every spring because you are not a rose bush. You are an oak, and your destiny is to grow large and majestic, giving shelter to birds, shade to travelers, beauty to the landscape. You have a mission. Fulfill it.”
And the tree felt strong and self-confident, and set out to be everything it was destined to be. Thus, it soon filled its space and was admired and respected by everyone. Only then was the garden completely happy.
Only we can know who we are.
¶ Ideas taken from the Circle of Trust group: the truth
[Here we begin a series of installments of the ideas that emerged in the conversations of the Circle of Trust supported by the Urantia Association of Spain. We believe that these reflections can serve others and awaken new reflections, while respecting the privacy and anonymity of the members of the circle.]
XIII meeting of the Circle of Trust, September 20, 2024
A series of concepts related to truth were differentiated: divine truth, truth as an event, religious truth, eternal truth, truth as reality, the hidden or untold, the Spirit of Truth, absolute truth versus relative truth, truth versus error.
- Sometimes we lie to help someone. Is it good?
- The truth is relative and we are not obliged to share the truth. Lying is neither good nor bad intrinsically, it depends on the moral connotation and what benefits the greatest number of dynamics. Sometimes the truth that is going to harm is not moral.
- Sometimes we do not tell the truth to a patient who is calm so as not to harm their recovery process.
- The truth can be invoked. The Spirit of Truth as the main protagonist.
- The expression “cunning as a fox” sometimes implies hiding truths to cause good and avoid evil.
- The relative truth of others must always be respected and should not be invalidated.
- The concept of “truth within” appears as an idea that sometimes the truth must stay there, for the common good.
- Morality is individual and that means that relative truths can confront each other.
¶ My favorite paragraph — Jan Herca
“Do not overlook the value of your spiritual heritage, the river of truth running down through the centuries, even to the barren times of a materialistic and secular age. In all your worthy efforts to rid yourselves of the superstitious creeds of past ages, make sure that you hold fast the eternal truth. But be patient! when the present superstition revolt is over, the truths of Jesus’ gospel will persist gloriously to illuminate a new and better way.” (UB 195:9.1)
This paragraph has always been inspiring to me since I first read it thirty years ago. It has been in front of me for a long time, on a note pinned to a corkboard, as a reminder. And I chose this paragraph as the introductory quote for a novel I have written. I always believed that its author was Mantutia, the director of the revealing commission, perhaps because it is located in a document of The Urantia Book that tells things about the future, and I felt that only a Melchizedek could have such profound vision about the times to come.
Be that as it may, what attracts me most about this paragraph is that it is extremely hopeful, and at the same time it makes a very clear recommendation about how we should consider contemporary Christianity. It is all condensed there in just a few lines.
¶ Urantian Questionnaire
I was born in Leganés (Spain), in 1992, but at a very young age my parents moved to Navalmoral de la Sierra, a town in the province of Ávila where I fell in love with the landscape and the Alberche Valley. I am happily married and enjoy my two daughters.
At the age of 25, I opened my YouTube channel, Mundo Azul, to dedicate myself to my great passion, which is dissemination and research.
Now I am developing my writing side further, having written, so far, three books.
1. How did you come across The Urantia Book and why do you think you found it?
I came to him at a very particular moment in my life, in a difficult and crucial stage of loss and search for sincere answers. Maybe that’s why I found him. I don’t believe in chance, so I’m convinced that God did the rest.
¶ January Urantia Talk
The Urantia Association of Spain organizes and sponsors the so-called “Urantian talks”, Zoom sessions in which a presenter offers a starting topic, followed by a moderated debate in which attendees can participate.
This is the talk scheduled for the month of January:
Saturday 18th: Exploring The Urantia Book with Artificial Intelligence: a new era of study (Ariel Vargas)
In this talk, we will explore how Artificial Intelligence tools can facilitate the understanding of the vast content of The Urantia Book. From text analysis to summary generation and philosophical debates, you will learn how to integrate modern technology to delve deeper into the spiritual and scientific concepts presented in this monumental work. Discover how technologies based on Artificial Intelligence can be allies in the study of The Urantia Book. This talk will show practical applications, such as the creation of conceptual maps, answers to complex questions, and connections between the philosophical and spiritual themes of the text, opening up new perspectives for learning.
Location: Zoom room of the Urantia Association of Spain
Room ID: 362 798 144
Time: 7:00 p.m. (CET, Spanish peninsular time)
We look forward to seeing you!
¶ New courses at the Urantia Book International School (UBIS)
A new term of courses at the Urantia Book International School (UBIS) begins in January. The registration period begins on Monday, January 6 and ends on Sunday, January 19. Courses begin on Monday, January 20 with orientation week.
These are the courses that will be offered this quarter:
- The Lessons of the Cross. Facilitated by: Ana Eguren. Level: Basic. Duration: 10 weeks.
- Lucifer’s Rebellion: Origin, History, and Destiny. Facilitated by: Irma E. Aguilar. Level: Basic. Duration: 10 weeks.
- The Father’s Great Gift to Mortals: Thought Adjusters. Facilitated by: Orfelina Castro. Level: Basic. Duration: 10 weeks
- God, Deity, and Divinity: Revelation to the Universe. Facilitated by: Gabriela Arcaute. Level: Intermediate. Duration: 10 weeks.
- Jesus, the Master of Masters. Facilitated by: Erika Webster. Level: Basic. Duration: 8 weeks. Study group format.
If you are interested in applying for a course, you must first create an account on the school’s website, http://ubis.urantia.org. This can be done before registration begins.
Spaces are limited, so sign up as soon as possible!
For more information about the courses, you can visit this page
¶ About the Luz y Vida newsletter
Luz y Vida is the newsletter of the Urantia Association of Spain. From 2005 to 2016 it was published in PDF format and distributed by post and email to the association’s reader list, but is currently distributed in newsletter format from HTML content.
If you wish to receive the newsletter in your email, contact the association to be subscribed to the recipient list.
All work and news from readers and study groups are welcome, so if you wish to share any secondary work, writing, outline, image, etc., you can send it to the association and we will publish it after evaluating its suitability. Likewise, the Communications Committee of the board of directors of the Urantia Association of Spain reserves the right to edit it to meet minimum spelling quality standards.
¶ References
- Index of the magazine “Luz y Vida” of the Association of Spain
- This article from the magazine “Luz y Vida Online”
- Index of the magazine “Luz y Vida Online”