© 2015 Olga López
© 2015 Urantia Association of Spain
| Luz y Vida — No. 41 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 41 — September 2015 — Index | The eternal struggle between science and religion |
Note: This presentation was given in the Urantia Association of Brazil chat room on July 26, 2015
¶ Introduction
The fourth epochal revelation, the one brought to this world by our Creator Son under the human identity of Jesus of Nazareth, has a very close relationship with the immediately subsequent, fifth revelation, contained in The Urantia Book. Perhaps for this reason, when we read the fourth part of the book, we cannot help but feel that the midwayers in charge of revealing the life and teachings of Jesus are not limiting themselves simply to describing the events of the seventh bestowal of Michael of Nebadon, but are also transmitting very valuable teachings for the success of the dissemination of the fifth epochal revelation.
More specifically, there is a section of Paper 159 (The Tour of the Decapolis), titled “Instructions for Educators and Believers,” that is well worth studying carefully. These instructions were part of a talk that Jesus gave in order to express “the principles that should guide those who preach the truth” and “promote” all “those who teach the gospel of the kingdom” UB 159:3.1
Therefore, I invite you to reflect with me on each of the paragraphs of these profound teachings. You will probably come up with many other nuances, other ideas, that I would love for you to share after this presentation. What is really important is that we grasp the truth, beauty and goodness of these teachings and that we transmit them in our daily lives.
So let’s start with these teachings of Jesus, summarized and expressed in modern language.
¶ Instructions of Jesus
Always respect the personality of man. Never should a righteous cause be promoted by force; spiritual victories can be won only by spiritual power. . . .” (UB 159:3.2)
José Luis Aranguren, a deceased Spanish philosopher, said in his essay “Ethics”: “One should never fight unfairly, not even against injustice.” And it is totally true. We cannot use illicit methods to transmit what is legal for us. And force, of course, is an illicit method that does not respect at all the unique personality in the entire universe of each of our fellow men.
As much as we think that the book’s teachings are far superior to any other doctrine, religion or school of thought, we should never impose them on anyone because then we are not respecting their personality, their path, their free will.
. . .Overpowering arguments and mental superiority are not to be employed to coerce men and women into the kingdom. . . .” (UB 159:3.2)
Let’s be honest. How many times have we been tempted to feel superior for knowing a revelation that today is still very little known in the world? And how many times have we felt the urge to use sarcasm and hurtful comments to people who don’t believe or think the same as us?
. . .While emotion as a factor in human decisions cannot be wholly eliminated, it should not be directly appealed to in the teachings of those who would advance the cause of the kingdom. . . .” (UB 159:3.2)
This reflection seems invaluable to me. It immediately reminds me of the use of emotion by many Christian churches to strengthen ties within the community of believers and especially with religious instructors. I believe that in this we have to be very alert and vigilant and follow the indications that the Master left us.
. . .Make your appeals directly to the divine spirit that dwells within the minds of men. Do not appeal to fear, pity, or mere sentiment. . . .” (UB 159:3.2)
These resources that are mentioned here are precisely the ones most used by institutionalized religions, in which Christianity (the religion about Jesus) has not been an exception. How many times have we been threatened with eternal punishment in hell if we “sin”! How many times has pity been resorted to when trying to instill in us the benefits of penance, showing us, for example, the torture suffered by early Christian martyrs!
As those in charge of transmitting the good news, we must always keep in mind that our fellow men also have within them a divine spark, their Thought Adjuster. For that alone they already deserve our respect and consideration. Let’s think of them as pilgrims of time and space, which is what they are. They and we.
. . .In appealing to men, be fair; exercise self-control and exhibit due restraint; show proper respect for the personalities of your pupils. Remember that I have said: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if any man will open, I will come in.” (UB 159:3.2)
That is the attitude: we should not cross the door of a house if the owner has not invited us to cross it. People place a high value on having their freedom of thought and action respected. That is the red line that we must never cross when releasing the revelation, otherwise we would not be consistent with the teachings of true freedom that the fifth revelation offers.
Have you noticed all the good, beautiful and true teachings that were in this paragraph? And we’ve only broken down one of the many in this section!
In bringing men into the kingdom, do not lessen or destroy their self-respect. While overmuch self-respect may destroy proper humility and end in pride, conceit, and arrogance, the loss of self-respect often ends in paralysis of the will. It is the purpose of this gospel to restore self-respect to those who have lost it and to restrain it in those who have it. . . . UB 159:3.3
Although it sounds commonplace, it is essential to love yourself in order to love and serve others. As I like to remember, “Love is the desire to do good to others”, and doing good to others involves helping them to progress, to be more than what they are, and to do so, maintain the self-esteem of others. our fellow men in their fair measure is essential. Let’s keep in mind that these people can in turn love and serve others and thus spread the benign virus of love. That is what the gospel of Jesus is about.
. . .Make not the mistake of only condemning the wrongs in the lives of your pupils; remember also to accord generous recognition for the most praiseworthy things in their lives. Forget not that I will stop at nothing to restore self-respect to those who have lost it, and who really desire to regain it. (UB 159:3.3)
The Master applied this rule of conduct, and we must also apply it. How many times do we reproach or criticize others for what we consider objectionable in their lives! We are too generous with criticism and too stingy with praise. It is not about praising any trifle, but everyone has good points that we must recognize and let our fellow men know that we value them positively. Who can resist a sincere compliment? It immediately makes them more receptive.
Take care that you do not wound the self-respect of timid and fearful souls. Do not indulge in sarcasm at the expense of my simple-minded brethren. Be not cynical with my fear-ridden children. (UB 159:3.4)
I know very well that shy people have a hard time expressing their ideas and thoughts in front of others. If on top of that they are emotionally and intellectually overwhelmed using sarcasm, not only will their self-esteem be hurt, but it will be even more difficult for them to open their hearts even to other people, for fear that they will be hurt again. That is why it is important to listen and have a loving attitude that gives them confidence. Sarcasm and irony are very attractive resources because they immediately put whoever uses them in a position of intellectual superiority, but it is not about feeling superior to others, but about helping them to see for themselves the riches of the temple.
. . .Idleness is destructive of self-respect; therefore, admonish your brethren ever to keep busy at their chosen tasks, and put forth every effort to secure work for those who find themselves without employment. (UB 159:3.4)
Although initially you may think that it is better to live without working, work really dignifies people, and there is nothing more destructive to self-esteem than finding yourself without a job. So one way to help others is to help them find a way to keep busy and find a job that makes them happy and makes them feel useful to their family and to society.
Making the teachings known is fine, but let’s not forget that it is about helping others in whatever they need. Not because they are mundane needs we should ignore them because these are also necessary to cover them.
Never be guilty of such unworthy tactics as endeavoring to frighten men and women into the kingdom. A loving father does not frighten his children into yielding obedience to his just requirements. (UB 159:3.5)
Once again, we must not use illegal tactics even if the ends are lawful, as that automatically invalidates our good intentions. Fear is in no way a legitimate tactic and, if the Father does not use it with us as the loving father that he is, we should not use it with our brothers either. No one can be forced to enter the kingdom, no matter how good it is for her to enter it. The free will of our fellow men, just like our own, is sacred. As the Master said a few paragraphs earlier, you have to show the door and invite them to cross, but never take them by the arm and drag them. Respecting the free will of others is an act of love towards them.
Sometime the children of the kingdom will realize that strong feelings of emotion are not equivalent to the leadings of the divine spirit. To be strongly and strangely impressed to do something or to go to a certain place, does not necessarily mean that such impulses are the leadings of the indwelling spirit. (UB 159:3.6)
This is often difficult to distinguish. Many times we feel impulses within us that we attribute to a manifestation of divine guidance, but to what extent is it? It is very easy to confuse the thoughtless impulses that push us to act with Adjuster guidance. How to really distinguish the guidance of the divine spirit? In these cases we must use our insight and, if we feel that it is not enough, ask the Father to help us discern the Adjuster’s guidance from our own impressions.
Forewarn all believers regarding the fringe of conflict which must be traversed by all who pass from the life as it is lived in the flesh to the higher life as it is lived in the spirit. To those who live quite wholly within either realm, there is little conflict or confusion, but all are doomed to experience more or less uncertainty during the times of transition between the two levels of living. . . . (UB 159:3.7)
I invite you now to reflect on what your experience has been and is regarding the conflict between material life and spiritual life. I understand that all of us who have committed ourselves to spreading the fifth revelation want to give more importance to spiritual life and strive to live in its kingdom and to distance ourselves more and more from material life, but this fight is not easy. We live in a material world with demands that, whether real or fictitious, quickly push us towards it. Life is a continuous exhausting tug of war, which only by desiring it and entering into communion with the Father makes the fight less and less intense and finally the spiritual side of life wins.
We all have to go through it because it is part of our condition as mortal creatures of space and time, and we should not be discouraged if sometimes the material seems to win the game at some point in our lives. The important thing is to be aware that you have to keep making an effort and that we are not alone, because divine guidance is in our minds precisely to spiritualize us. Let’s not be too harsh judges on ourselves either!
. . .In entering the kingdom, you cannot escape its responsibilities or avoid its obligations, but remember: The gospel yoke is easy and the burden of truth is light. (UB 159:3.7)
As people committed to spreading the fifth revelation, who want to be part of the kingdom to which the Master alludes, we are aware that we can no longer plead ignorance. We know who we are, where we come from and where we are going, that the double fact of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men forces us to be consistent with this fact in our lives. The Master does not ask us for intellectual consent to this double truth, but rather asks that we live it at every moment of our lives. It is not easy, but it is not impossible either, if we make it so ours that acting according to this principle is as automatic as when we use, for example, our mother tongue to communicate. It is true that when we were little we had to learn it, but we did it naturally and now we handle it in a more than satisfactory way to express our ideas and our feelings. Our progressive spiritualization works in a similar way to learning our mother tongue. You have to practice daily, use the reinforcement of the periodic connection with our Adjuster through prayer or meditation, and there will come a time when our reactions will be automatic, we will not even be conscious of thinking “I have to do this because it is what I have to do.” do". In addition, we will not have the feeling that we are sacrificing or repressing some part of us. The Master does not ask us for self-denial or sacrifice, but rather to internalize the kingdom of heaven and put it into practice with joy.
The world is filled with hungry souls who famish in the very presence of the bread of life; men die searching for the very God who lives within them. Men seek for the treasures of the kingdom with yearning hearts and weary feet when they are all within the immediate grasp of living faith. . . . (UB 159:3.8)
This part reminds me of the episode where Jesus and Ganid helped a lost boy find his mother. Let’s remember here the words of the Master:
“You know, Ganid, most human beings are like the lost child. They spend much of their time crying in fear and suffering in sorrow when, in very truth, they are but a short distance from safety and security, even as this child was only a little way from home. And all those who know the way of truth and enjoy the assurance of knowing God should esteem it a privilege, not a duty, to offer guidance to their fellows in their efforts to find the satisfactions of living. Did we not supremely enjoy this ministry of restoring the child to his mother? So do those who lead men to God experience the supreme satisfaction of human service.” (UB 132:6.1)
Why do we human beings have so much effort to look outside of ourselves for what we already have inside? Perhaps it is because the inner search is the most difficult, although it may be paradoxical. But I add the other idea that appears in this paragraph of document 132: for those who know God, it must be a privilege and a duty to help their fellow men to know God. That is exactly what the service is about.
. . .Faith is to religion what sails are to a ship; it is an addition of power, not an added burden of life. There is but one struggle for those who enter the kingdom, and that is to fight the good fight of faith. The believer has only one battle, and that is against doubt—unbelief. (UB 159:3.8)
Faith gives us the conviction that higher realities exist, and the hope it gives us gives us energy to face the vicissitudes of life. Of course, there are always times when faith can waver. We live in a world where there are too many injustices, life is sometimes very hard, and it is very easy to get discouraged and fall into pessimism and question whether what we believe is real or just a nice story to cope with our existence. But, if our faith resists doubt and disbelief, there will be nothing that can with us: we will be able to rise above all the mud of mundane existence and misfortunes, if they come to us, will hardly affect us because faith makes us strong. Faith is our seal of identity as agondonteros!
In preaching the gospel of the kingdom, you are simply teaching friendship with God. And this fellowship will appeal alike to men and women in that both will find that which most truly satisfies their characteristic longings and ideals. . . (UB 159:3.9)
I want to highlight here the novelty of Jesu s’ words regarding the idea of God that was held at that time. The Jews, who were at that time the people with the most progressive evolutionary religion, thought of Yahweh, their God, as an almighty being who had to be feared if they did not want to fall victim to his wrath. Here, the Master is saying that preaching the gospel is neither more nor less than “teaching friendship with God.” The Father is, therefore, not only our Creator but our friend, someone who knows us even better than ourselves and in whom we can fully trust because he loves us and wants the best for us. Jesus brought us closer to God like no other has. Who can be closer to us than a Father-friend? Thinking of God in this way gives us the strength to think that, it doesn’t matter if the rest of humanity abandons us: there is Someone who never will and who will also lead us to be more than what we are.
Tell my children that I am not only tender of their feelings and patient with their frailties, but that I am also ruthless with sin and intolerant of iniquity. I am indeed meek and humble in the presence of my Father, but I am equally and relentlessly inexorable where there is deliberate evil-doing and sinful rebellion against the will of my Father in heaven. (UB 159:3.9)
One thing is the attitude towards people that divine beings have, and another thing is the attitude towards deliberate transgressions of the will of the Father. As a Divine Advisor says in document 2:
God loves the sinner and hates the sin: such a statement is true philosophically, but God is a transcendent personality, and persons can only love and hate other persons. Sin is not a person. (. . .) The love of God saves the sinner; the law of God destroys the sin. . . . (UB 2:6.8)
Rodan of Alexandria said of the Master: “ardently loves goodness and hates sin with the same intensity” UB 161:2.6. For this reason, the reaction of divine beings is always firm against sin, although it is also true that they maintain a merciful and loving attitude towards creatures, whether they have gone astray or not.
You shall not portray your teacher as a man of sorrows. Future generations shall know also the radiance of our joy, the buoyance of our good will, and the inspiration of our good humor. We proclaim a message of good news which is infectious in its transforming power. Our religion is throbbing with new life and new meanings. Those who accept this teaching are filled with joy and in their hearts are constrained to rejoice evermore. Increasing happiness is always the experience of all who are certain about God. (UB 159:3.10)
How far joy is so often from the religion that claims to be the bearer of the message of Jesus! How much emphasis has been placed on the suffering of the crucifixion, on the value of penance, sacrifice and self-sacrifice to earn salvation, and how tiptoe he goes through the joy of the resurrection! Which, I insist, is not exclusive to Jesus, but that we all have to go through it sooner or later. In this talk, the Master often mentions joy, joy, as a vital attitude in the face of the vicissitudes of life. And that must be our attitude! If we know as we know that death is not the end, that the injustices and evil in the world are small black spots on a white canvas, how can we not be happy? If we see the black dots too large, it is a sign that we should increase the perspective and try to see as much of the white canvas as possible. We will then see that living not only becomes more bearable, but that material existence ceases to seem like a hard burden. It is important to insist that what is important is the attitude, “the glass through which one looks”, as the well-known saying goes.
Teach all believers to avoid leaning upon the insecure props of false sympathy. You cannot develop strong characters out of the indulgence of self-pity; honestly endeavor to avoid the deceptive influence of mere fellowship in misery. Extend sympathy to the brave and courageous while you withhold overmuch pity from those cowardly souls who only halfheartedly stand up before the trials of living. Offer not consolation to those who lie down before their troubles without a struggle. Sympathize not with your fellows merely that they may sympathize with you in return. (UB 159:3.11)
In this paragraph, Jesus talks about avoiding both false compassion and compassion for oneself. I think it is worth expanding a bit on what this paragraph suggests to me.
What does “compassion” mean? According to the DRAE (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy), it is defined as »feeling of commiseration and pity that one has towards those who suffer hardships or misfortunes". In the case of false compassion, we could say that this commiseration and pity are feigned, they are simply exhibited facing the gallery without truly feeling them.But this paragraph also alludes to misunderstood compassion, when we feel sorry for someone who is not worthy of it.
But who is to be pitied? We could say that they are those people who go through difficult situations and do something to remedy them. People who expect others to solve their problems, who do nothing but complain about what happens to them and who blame everything and everyone for their misfortunes, are not exactly worthy of compassion.
As for self-pity, what do we really mean by feeling sorry for ourselves? Get others to pity us? Justify our limitations or blame our failures on others? What good is it for us that others pity us? Does it make us better, does it make them love us more? Or is it simply getting the perfect excuse not to move forward, not to grow? A true believer in the kingdom, a follower of the religion OF Jesus, will never fall into self-pity. How could he do it, if he lives life with joy, if he does everything possible to be strong in the face of adversity?
When my children once become self-conscious of the assurance of the divine presence, such a faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (UB 159:3.12)
All believers in the religion of Jesus (and, by extension, of the fifth revelation) should keep in mind these benefits of having a divine fragment within us, a little piece of the Universal Father housed in our mind:
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a) Faith opens our mind. Be careful, because we are not talking about blind faith, the thoughtless assent towards the affirmations of other people or sacred writings. Living faith, reasoned faith, makes us always more open, because the Truth (in capital letters) can be anywhere. The one who has faith in realities that transcend human existence is by definition a seeker.
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b) Faith ennobles our soul. We are children of God by faith, and therefore we also see others as children of God and therefore our brothers.
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c) Faith strengthens our personality. Faith makes us better face the adversities of life, because we know that what we experience is not the only thing that exists, that everything does not end here, that we can expect something better.
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d) Faith increases our happiness. The hope that faith gives us makes us happier even in objectively difficult situations. It is not the happiness that money or material goods give, but a much deeper and more lasting happiness, since it does not depend on something as volatile and fleeting as material well-being.
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e) Faith intensifies our spiritual perception. Knowing by faith that we have a fragment of the Father within us makes us more attentive to his divine guidance, that we make an effort to stay in tune with it. That makes us more receptive to spiritual values.
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f) Faith enhances our power to love and be loved. How not to love someone who we know has a divine spark living inside? All normal-minded humans are endowed with that divine gift from the heavenly Father. We may be different physically and intellectually, but we have the same spiritual endowment, the same potential to reach Paradise and reach the same presence of God.
Let’s turn to the last paragraph of Jesus’ teaching that appears in this section:
Teach all believers that those who enter the kingdom are not thereby rendered immune to the accidents of time or to the ordinary catastrophes of nature. . . (UB 159:3.13)
Many times we tend to believe that having had the privilege of knowing the wonderful teachings of The Urantia Book automatically makes us chosen for a special mission, and that this leads us to a kind of immunity to the hardships of existence, be they natural or man-made. And it’s true… but halfway.
In my opinion, it is not by chance that we, and not others, have discovered this book. In these early years of the dissemination of the teachings of the fifth revelation, I have the feeling that someone “up there” has encouraged an (initially small) group of truth seekers to encounter these teachings. In all the years that I have been in contact with readers, I have read and listened to many testimonials from readers who found the book in circumstances that were not very picturesque, even supernatural. On other occasions, it has been after a strong crisis, or mentally asking for help, or after years of searching here and there. Some knew of the book but put it away in a corner for years. Because another thing is certain: the book “comes” to us at the right time; neither before nor after.
So I think it is true that we are chosen, but that does not imply belonging to a privileged elite in the sense that the hardships of life will no longer visit us. I remember for example Dr. Lena Sadler, wife of Dr. Sadler and a believer from the beginning in the veracity of the Urantia revelation. He died of cancer and even had an arm amputated years before due to a medical error. He also suffered the loss of a daughter, which is the most painful experience one can have as a parent. I wouldn’t exactly rate his personal life as easy, no matter how successful he was in his family and professional life.
I sincerely believe that if we have been chosen it is because we have the ability to promote the good news of revelation, that our minds are fertile ground for the teachings to germinate and bear fruit. So they chose us, yes, but to work hard, not to get public fame and recognition.
I would dare, yes, to qualify these statements: we are not immune to misfortunes, but our attitude towards them and the fact that we see them for what they are, fleeting setbacks that visit us in time and space, makes in the long run these setbacks visit us less and less. In a way, it’s like we’ve already learned that lesson. And what need is there to repeat a lesson we already know?
. . .Believing the gospel will not prevent getting into trouble, but it will insure that you shall be unafraid when trouble does overtake you. If you dare to believe in me and wholeheartedly proceed to follow after me, you shall most certainly by so doing enter upon the sure pathway to trouble. I do not promise to deliver you from the waters of adversity, but I do promise to go with you through all of them. (UB 159:3.13)
Here, the Master makes an observation that should not be overlooked: the path that leads to entering the kingdom is not a bed of roses, and not always because of the difficulties that the kingdom itself entails, but also because we run the risk of to be uncomfortable for other human beings, to be in the crosshairs of those who want to subdue others through fear and thoughtless assent to their truths. Jesus of Nazareth lived in his own flesh the result of preaching the truth of the gospel and, although today no one is crucified or burned at the stake, there are many ways to harm people: mockery, discredit, social isolation etc
At this stage of the dissemination of the revelation, those of us who believe in the truth of the teachings of The Urantia Book go more or less unnoticed in society. We are still very few. But there will come a time when we will have to put ourselves under the scrutiny of the media and the general public, and we will have to be prepared for then.
But all these present and future setbacks should not discourage us. When we apply the cosmic perspective, temporary misfortunes dwarf, they become relative. Humanity’s spiritual progress may be slow and tortuous, but it is relentlessly on its way. We can take two steps forward and one step back, but the balance will be positive in the long run. Also, we are not alone, we have many celestial beings walking alongside us and other spiritual helpers: the Thought Adjuster, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the spirit helpers… Not a single one of the human beings on this planet he is totally and utterly alone, even though the rest of his peers have abandoned him.
¶ Let’s recap…
At this point, and after analyzing the Master’s words in this specific section, I would like to summarize the most important ideas in my opinion of what Jesus said to the instructors and believers of his time, to apply it to the fifth revelation and the instructors and believers here and now.
¶ 1. It is not enough to make the teachings known: we have to carry them within.
If there is something that automatically discredits someone who defines himself as a religious person, it is doing the opposite of what he says he believes. If we commit ourselves to making the teachings of The Urantia Book known, it will be of little use for us to give thoughtful talks or write long texts on the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood among human beings if we do not make this double principle the pivot on which we turn our live If there is something that people immediately detect, it is the inconsistency between our words and our actions, and those who listen to us will think (rightly) that it is not worth dedicating their attention to teachings that have not internally transformed their interlocutor.
As believers in the teachings of the fifth revelation, we cannot fall into the error of institutionalized religions. While it is true that it is good and desirable to delve into the book’s teachings, it is not a matter of becoming scholars or experts of the book. The Urantia Book has such a depth and density of concepts that its study can take us a lifetime, but let us not lose sight of our ultimate goal, which is to progress spiritually.
¶ 2. The end does not justify the means, however noble that end may be. People are never means but ends.
It is better to fail in disseminating disclosure than to succeed in lying to other people, manipulating other people, or using them in any way. By seeing a person as a means, we are denying her the status of our sister, we are not honoring the divine spark that lives within her. We are all endowed with free will and this gift is sacred to all heavenly personalities. Therefore, it must also be for us.
There is no point in forcing the dissemination of disclosure or trying to artificially speed it up. We must always keep in mind that “the Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men”; they are wise enough to propagate an idea for which their time has come. When it is time for the fifth revelation (in the future perhaps not too distant, although we don’t know either), there will be no force in heaven or on Earth capable of stopping its advance. In the meantime, we have to work and prepare the ground for when that moment arrives, without getting too hopeful that we can see any progress in our short stay on Urantia. Let us remember, for example, that many generations of humans worked on the construction of the first Garden, and they did not even see Adam and Eve arrive, since they appeared on Earth thousands of years later.
¶ 3. Build, never destroy.
Let us remember that Jesus never belittled or ridiculed anyone’s beliefs, no matter how ridiculous they seemed. He simply extracted the best from them and enhanced them, helping his interlocutors to obtain higher truths. What can we achieve by belittling or ridiculing someone? As we have said before, let your hearts close to our words. And it is impossible to convey good news to closed hearts.
Materialism, even though it is receding (at least the Revelators tell us the worst of it is over) makes many people wary of all things God and religion. Much more if they are told about a revelation that is outside the orbit of institutionalized religions. That baffles them even more! So we have to be very careful how we deal with these issues. The best thing is to try to find common ground, what we can agree on, even if they are the most basic ethical principles. Even if they tell us they don’t believe in anything, everyone believes in something. And it is also true that there are many more good people than bad and that, for these people, the truth catches on immediately.
¶ 4. We must be aware that fame or public recognition awaits us, but a quiet and anonymous work.
The Urantia Book was published in English in 1955, and in Spanish in 1993. Despite advances in the dissemination of the teachings, it is clear that there are still few people in the world who know that there is a book that is published. called The Urantia Book. Sometimes I think that, if we readers had formed secret brotherhoods, perhaps The Urantia Book would have been better known, because human beings feel an irresistible attraction to the secret and the forbidden. But that is not the goal we should pursue.
We do not want to attract a sudden popularity that would be detrimental to the spread of the revelation. It is not wise to give indiscriminate publicity. We are not here to satisfy people’s superficial curiosity. What we want is to make the teachings known so that they gradually transform people and that little by little leads, generation after generation, to making the world a better place. First in our closest environment, and later, if the occasion arises, in larger environments.
That is the way: quiet and constant work. In this society, which seeks what is immediate and quick to consume, which is discarded just as quickly, we have to seek to remain, to create something lasting and good: in our children, our family, our friends, our neighborhood, our city, our country, our beloved planet Urantia. Probably the history that is written in the future will forget our names, but the heavenly beings and the Father who is in heaven recognize our efforts from now on, and the day that we can communicate with them, they will certainly express it to us in words that we can understand.
¶ 5. Let’s make joy our hallmark.
Let us remember what the Revealers told us about Jesus: that he was a man of joys, not of sadness. Let’s not go through life with a serious face, thinking that what we do is a sacrifice for others. Service is not about self-denial or sacrifice, but about doing good with a sincere smile! We do not have to serve others because it is our obligation, but because we want to and, furthermore, we are delighted to serve, because the pleasure that is felt by giving is much greater than the one that is felt by receiving. Service should be our natural reaction to life, it should be part of our character.
If there is something that the teachings of The Urantia Book give us, it is hope for a bright future, not only for us but also for humanity. Who can not feel joy at that prospect?
¶ 6. Faith is the best fuel for our inner machine.
Faith as described in The Urantia Book, faith-trust, reasoned faith, faith that is not in conflict with science or philosophy, is a tireless generator of inner strength. The circumstances of life put it to the test countless times and, as human beings, sometimes we lose hope or doubt that everything will finally happen for the benefit of a greater good. On those occasions, there is no better recharge for faith than prayer. Let us remember that Jesus himself withdrew from time to time to a remote place to be in communion with the Father. Just like him, we also need to recharge our spiritual batteries from time to time, even if it is a few minutes a day. From time to time, it is important to get away from the daily maelstrom and live in the present consciously. Otherwise, the demands of everyday life make us lose our bearings, make us forget the purpose of our lives and why we are here.
¶ 7. Believing in the fifth revelation does not make us chosen free from all evil, but chosen to work hard. But it will be the sweetest and most rewarding job we can ever do.
As humans, it is easy to fall into the temptation of feeling special for having known a revelation like the one contained in The Urantia Book. But let’s not fool ourselves: in these times that we have had to live in, we are going to find rejection or even worse: indifference. Compared to other similar movements, the readers of The Urantia Book are still an insignificant community that very few know about. That has its downsides, of course, but it also has an important advantage (in my opinion), which is that this anonymity puts us in a very effective position to make lasting changes in society. Working out of the public eye allows our energies to be devoted more to effective dissemination work than defensive work. Of course, we must prepare for that day (which will come sooner or later) when we are exposed to public opinion.
Meanwhile, as believers in the fifth revelation, let’s live our life with joy; let us be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. And above all, let us spread the benign virus of love, so that all humanity ends up catching it. That is what our Father certainly wants us to do. And it is our will that His will be done.
¶ References
- Light and Life Magazine (all old issues): https://aue.urantia-association.org/numeros-antiguos-del-lyv/
| Luz y Vida — No. 41 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 41 — September 2015 — Index | The eternal struggle between science and religion |