© 2023 Rita Schaad
© 2023 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
| Unity – Harmony Within Diversity of Experience and Belief | The Arena – Winter 2023 — Index | Faith-Trust in the Goodness of God |
Rita Schaad, October 2022, ANZURA conference, Tasmania
While preparing for this, I first and foremost really needed to look at the world today and its inhabitants and found myself observing and reflecting, changing ideas constantly. What were those most important points to share today — but in the end one makes a lot of compromises…
As far as the sad state of world affairs is concerned, nothing much relating to us humans have really changed. Things should actually be much more improved considering the Divine Adjusters have been able to flock to this sphere on account of the Spirit of Truth ‘being poured out upon all flesh’ and residing within all mortal minds for 2000 years.
The question I asked myself over and over again is how do people — how do we — get to that point where we receive a divine invasion resulting in an experience ‘so sublime’ that it is too deep for words?
Just before Jesus was six (AD1) he met and played with his cousin John and his family for the first time as they came from near Jerusalem.
…Jesus began to evince an unusual interest in the history of Israel and to inquire in great detail as to the meaning of the Sabbath rites, the synagogue sermons, and the recurring feasts of commemoration. [UB 123:3.5]
I feel that this could have been the beginning of his journey towards awakening and recognising his dual nature and leading to the final realization to what divine purpose he came here for. Imagine the searching and sorting that had to be done in order to arrive many years later at this statement:
“Religions are not made. The religions of men grow up over long periods of time, while the revelations of God flash upon earth in the lives of the men who reveal God to their fellows.” Jesus, [UB 132:7.6]
¶ A New Religion
This then was the reason for his visit — flash upon the earth and reveal God to his fellows — even across a Universe — his Universe! — as a mortal man of this realm.
A new religion that will be at odds with what was then an established traditional doctrine and intellectual belief of an autocratic and stagnant system of religion, albeit the best that was there at the time. Again imagine what the hearers of such a proclamation would have thought at the time…
“…And now are we about to enter upon a deadly conflict with such a religion since we will so shortly begin the bold proclamation of a new religion — (one which is not as in the present day meaning of the word but a religion)… that makes its chief appeal to the divine spirit of my Father which resides in the mind of man; a religion which shall derive its authority from the fruits of its acceptance that will so certainly appear in the personal experience of all who really and truly become believers in the truths of this higher spiritual communion.” [UB 155:5.12]
What truths? What spiritual communion? Aren’t we supposed to just offer sacrifice and obey commands to please the Gods? A call to arms wouldn’t you say — a proper cleansing of the temple grounds.
Well, it says after that, that the 24 hearers rose to their feet, intending to signify their united loyal response to this emotional appeal of their Master.
As we know, in the last 2000 years people got busy with interpreting how the eternal Father resides in the mind of man and a big number of ideas and methods have sprung up — all once again neatly organized and institutionalized — that today the capacity for seeking reciprocal contact with divinity (UB 52:1.7) is somewhat smothered and curtailed.
¶ So how does this play out? What are we supposed to do?
According to Jesus’ ‘bold proposal’, we are charged then to start talking to and with the Father — to become acquainted and to engage in a higher spiritual communion — to venture out on our own deliberately to decide right and wrong in ourselves.
For those that grew up in the Christian church and other dogmatic faith traditions, this is still a big leap. But despite that, we know that today many are again searching for their own truth all by themselves. No wonder it all looks like a big circus at times. We shouldn’t be deterred by that though because it’s the Spirit of Truth working in them, isn’t it? Creation is at first chaotic, and rather than judge some as ‘queer folk’ and put them in my ordered boxes, I have decided to learn to rejoice that at least there is movement at the station!
¶ Searching — seeking
“If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him.” Jesus, [UB 130:8.2]
Desire — sincerity — where do they reside?
Spirit guided people have always asked: what is it I’m supposed to be, should do and what is it I can do? Spirit guided people willingly submit to the authority of the Spirit within.
It’s not that we are meant to leave the rituals and symbols behind — especially when they are helpful in reminding us to ‘practice the presence of God’ — or when they are making real sense to us and are that little bit of glitz and bling we encounter when partaking in a pageantry-events where higher meanings are displayed, where ceremonial gestures are an expression of deep devotion that can strike in us a place where we are made ready to commit our lives. After all — they use such methods of ceremony on the Sea of Glass!
But what IS necessary whilst communing with this universal Spirit concerns our personal connection in our day-to-day lives. The proposal of seeking the will of the Father by ourselves leaves us standing, feeling quite alone in the dark and cold — for a while at least — until we remember what made us embark on this journey of finding God in the first place.
There was that moment wasn’t there — when we started asking… best choice ever… where a desire grew and sincerity encouraged us.
For many today, searching for meaning from scratch and following the prodding of the spiritual forces within has led them down thorny paths while being lured in by a so-called charismatic or overly fanatical person or group. But such journeys have produced some remarkable stories and make me often marvel at the power the great Spirit can wield in sincere and persistent people. No one is lost in the end if he or she wants to be found.
¶ Finding
“I have called you out of the darkness … (of authority and the lethargy of tradition) … into the transcendent light of the realization of the possibility of making for yourselves the greatest discovery possible for the human soul to make — the supernal experience of finding God for yourself, in yourself, and of yourself, and of doing all this as a fact in your own personal experience.” Jesus, [UB 155:6.3]
So then comes a moment — out of the blue — when we arrive somehow… when we get an answer to our burning question, so personal, so poignant that makes us stop in our tracks. What was it that we beheld in that first intimate moment with the ‘transcendent light’ that warmed us from within and keeps us going and is in fact saving us? That initial transformation we probably did not consciously recognise, the seed that was planted and has sprouted?
And yes — we are many times reminded, that ‘the light’ can blind us, make us go overboard, fall over the edge. Going out alone is a tricky business — the ROPE becomes a tight-rope, a highwire! There’s nothing to hang on to, you can slip and fall on either side — keeping the balance is the most important focus.
In Immanuel’s charge to his ‘Creator brother’ before his seventh bestowal, he reminded him, that after this experience on planet Urantia…
“…you will know in very truth the full meaning and the rich significance of that faith-trust which you so unvaryingly require all your creatures to master as a part of their intimate relationship with you as their local universe Creator and Father.” [UB 120:1.3]
So now we are set free from the bondage of old traditions because it is required of us to master a faith-trust in order to grow in our ‘intimate relationship’ with Jesus and in so doing, become acquainted with the Father of all. More and more then we start to trustingly foster a faith in those sublime close encounters with the Spirit that leave us feeling held, cared for, listened to… no more alone.
And like the mountaineer’s security rope, attached in intervals to the hard rock face, we hang on to those experiences, which gives us assurance along the way that we are moving steadily upward. We don’t want to let go of that ROPE, each section of that climb presenting us with affirmation of small achievements while anchoring us just in case we should lose the grip, the footing.
Even if many times fear overcomes us, the immensity of the challenge or task ahead overwhelms our initial enthusiasm; once committed, it is even harder to give up.
I often wondered about this passage:
Thinking man has always feared to be held by a religion Modern men and women of intelligence evade the religion of Jesus because of their fears of what it will do to them — and with them. And all such fears are well founded. The religion of Jesus does, indeed, dominate and transform its believers, demanding that men dedicate their lives to seeking for a knowledge of the will of the Father in heaven. [UB 195:9.6]
¶ Too Deep for Words
“[Religion] is… a profoundly deep and actual experience of spiritual communion with the spirit influences resident within the human mind, and as far as such an experience is definable in terms of psychology, it is simply the experience of experiencing the reality of believing in God as the reality of such a purely personal experience.” [UB 101:1.4]
Too deep for words — indeed — maybe such sentiments are not meant to be expressed in words. Maybe such deep feelings and insights are best kept and held close — as intimate moments should. Such treasures are very uniquely personal and are like the resonance of the growing soul — being in step with the cosmic harmony. Such moments make us stop and ponder, wonder, marvel; they move us inexplicably and our life will never be the same…
Can you remember YOUR first time? More and more we are willing to hand over the control to the mindindwelling spirit and get a sense here and there that we have moved on somewhat.
Too deep — to understand or comprehend at first. Where does it come from? Why does it start? Why do I all of a sudden see the world and life in a different light, from a different perspective? What is this desire burning within? What happens in such moments; where do we feel it? How is it affecting me? How come I keep on going?
Then other moments follow when the ‘inner eye of the imagination’ lights up, presents a higher intention an insight perhaps into the mind of Jesus, a prompt to follow that lead, an opportunity to act upon it, a clear call to service and the inspiration to give it attention and to ‘do something’ against the backdrop of the cosmic fabric of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
Isn’t that what Jesus means by ‘the fruits of acceptance’ of the surety of this inner communion we trustingly accept as reality and therefore give it authority to be our continuous ‘mountain ROPE’ to hang on to and follow.
¶ Jesus the Saviour
The religionist of faith believes in a God who fosters survival, the Father in heaven, the God of love. [UB 5:5.3]
That is where Jesus saves — in the midst of our own reality. That is why he is called the Saviour. Do you know that hand, the hand that saves? It’s the one that grasps yours after you have reached out. I can see it clearly, and many times have not hesitated to grasp it and felt its strength.
“…yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness, for I am the Lord your God. And I will hold your right hand, saying to you; fear not, for I will help you…” [UB 126:4.6]
“And you are my witness, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen that all may know and believe me and understand that I am the Eternal. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no savior.” [UB 126:4.7]
A faith grasp, a leap of faith. Such inspirations go a long way — they have the power to transform.
¶ Intimacy
Transformation is such a big word, isn’t it? Being one thing, then becoming another. Being born again. Being on the way like a river, sitting deep in its carved-out bed, securely flowing, and never standing still — having a destiny.
Jesus stripped morality of all rules and ceremonies and elevated it to majestic levels of spiritual thinking and truly righteous living. [UB 140:10.5]
Being held — close
Being carried
Feeling loved
Feeling secure
Being comforted
Feeling at ease
Trusting and being trusted
Having a mighty Friend — forever — amazing!!
¶ References
| Unity – Harmony Within Diversity of Experience and Belief | The Arena – Winter 2023 — Index | Faith-Trust in the Goodness of God |