Personally, I think part of the beauty made possible by Urantia’s tragic history is that here, like nowhere else in Nebadon, the personalization of our Adjusters unfolds in TRULY unique ways. By this I mean that, given the dependability of the “normal” scheme, where a world’s culture is almost cookie-cuttered into a somewhat standardized perfection, here on Urantia, each precious co-creational success must be pouring otherwise unattainable contributions into the Supreme.
Greetings Nigel!!
Agreed. I think our world very unique…and challenged. Rebellion and the Adamic default leading to the total collapse and loss of all corporeal leadership and example. No stabilizing and growing centers of culture, education, universe cosmology, spiritual guidance by perspective of reality, etc. The ‘neighboring planet’ is another example though, so out of 7 trillion worlds there must be those others where the Most Highs, the Creator Sons, and the Supreme have had to be creatively responsive with Plan B. But I am most impressed by the ability of the Spirit ministries to overcome these losses and obstacles and shepherd such a world through the Mortal Epochs of planetary transformation one soul at a time….Some text on that challenge from Paper 52:
52:6.2 (597.3) Even on normal evolutionary worlds the realization of the world-wide brotherhood of man is not an easy accomplishment. On a confused and disordered planet like Urantia such an achievement requires a much longer time and necessitates far greater effort. Unaided social evolution can hardly achieve such happy results on a spiritually isolated sphere. Religious revelation is essential to the realization of brotherhood on Urantia….
52:6.7 (598.2) 5. Spiritual insight. The brotherhood of man is, after all, predicated on the recognition of the fatherhood of God. The quickest way to realize the brotherhood of man on Urantia is to effect the spiritual transformation of present-day humanity. The only technique for accelerating the natural trend of social evolution is that of applying spiritual pressure from above, thus augmenting moral insight while enhancing the soul capacity of every mortal to understand and love every other mortal. Mutual understanding and fraternal love are transcendent civilizers and mighty factors in the world-wide realization of the brotherhood of man.
52:6.8 (598.3) If you could be transplanted from your backward and confused world to some normal planet now in the postbestowal Son age, you would think you had been translated to the heaven of your traditions. You would hardly believe that you were observing the normal evolutionary workings of a mortal sphere of human habitation. These worlds are in the spiritual circuits of their realm, and they enjoy all the advantages of the universe broadcasts and the reflectivity services of the superuniverse.
Me here: We know of the miraculous choice of Michael to walk upon our world and give us the gift of the Son’s Spirit….and do so far out of the ordinary sequence described in Paper 52. That transformative gift 2000 years ago cannot even be understood by us today as its effect has been too profound to consider life without the Spirit of Truth and the flood of TA’s provided thusly.
Even though we are and have been isolated in so many ways, still do the mind gravity, spirit gravity, and spirits of Father, Mother, and Son attend us here. And those, evidently, and combined with revelation, can and do “accelerate” personal and planetary transformation by “applying spiritual pressure from above”. We are taught that faith assurance and truth assurance by personal revelation combine to overcome many of the effects of rebellion and the default of Adam and Eve. There are many forms of compensatory ministry we enjoy that may, ultimately, prove to be of immense value to the Supreme (as Nigel suggests above).
34:7.6 (382.6) Notwithstanding this double disaster to man’s nature and his environment, present-day mortals would experience less of this apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the Father in heaven. Jesus showed mankind the new way of mortal living whereby human beings may very largely escape the dire consequences of the Caligastic rebellion and most effectively compensate for the deprivations resulting from the Adamic default. “The spirit of the life of Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of animal living and the temptations of evil and sin.” “This is the victory that overcomes the flesh, even your faith.”
One thing I am discovering in this study of the middle papers is how narrow and inflexible and traditional is the definition of “faith” and “religious” experience and expression that myself and so many others (including UB students) impose upon ourselves and others (especially others). Too many of us fail to recognize the faith experience and the building of soul in others due to our own opinions and perspectives which limit that experience far too much by our own prejudice and preconceptions which too often leads to being judgmental and disappointed and impatient with others’ religiosity. We are so focused on the immaturities and materialness of our neighbors that we fail to discern the inner life and light that truly exists.
And so some of us come to think the world is going to heck in a hand basket and in need of intervention and emergency attention and that a majority of our fellows are in danger of hell or lack of survival…and seemingly everyone is needful of our opinions and corrections and advice of what to do and not to do, etc., etc., etc. We’re a funny bunch of opinionated monkeys!!! While we may find humility when considering God’s greatness….we often seem to fail to be more humble with one another. And how can we truly love others until we forgive them of what we perceive and judge to be their faults and failures?
The brotherhood begins with understanding one another and expanding our own perspective of the fact and reality of the Spirit’s work within us all. That experience and its expression simply is not what so many of us think and expect it to be. That’s why we are taught to look for the fruits of the Spirit….not the piety and pretense so often offered as ‘evidence’ of someone’s claimed religious experience and their expectations of others. Where is the love and forgiveness in such an attitude? Jesus loved us….the tadpoleness of humanity delighted him and the animal/materialness brought forth great compassion and patience in him.
Thank you Bonita and Nigel for sharing your insights and perspective….always making me think and reflect and reconsider my own view of reality.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
Yes indeed!