From The President

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By K. Richard Keeler

The fifth epochal revelation, which will be relevant for perhaps the next thousand years, is, after only 46 years, still in its infancy. As some parents purposely expose their infants to such childhood diseases as mumps, measles, and chicken pox in order to make them immune to these diseases later on in life, is it possible that the Urantia movement is being immunized against certain organizational childhood diseases, such as impatience, fanaticism, unlimited personal sovereignty, the chosen-people delusion, and theological arrogance?

Is it possible that we are learning how to resist organizational dis-ease, to resist that which would disrupt our unity? A healthy body has unity; it is disease that disrupts unity. So, in the early years of this movement, as in the early years of a child, immunity is essential to the health and viability of the organism.

The URANTIA Book uses the analogy of "immunity" in describing how to cope with personal and organizational problems. It declares that it is possible to become IMMUNE to disappointment:

"One of the most amazing earmarks of religious living is that dynamic and sublime peace, that peace which passes all human understanding, that cosmic poise which betokens the absence of all doubt and turmoil. Such levels of spiritual stability are IMMUNE to disappointment. Such religionists are like the Apostle Paul, who said: 'am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else shall be able to separate us from the love of God.'" (1101:01)

Teaching at Tyre, Jesus says it is possible to become "immune" to depression. He said that:

"God knowing individuals are not discouraged by misfortune or downcast by disappointment. Believers are IMMUNE to the depression consequent upon purely material upheavals; spirit livers are not perturbed by the episodes of the material world. Candidates for eternal life are practitioners of an invigorating and constructive technique for meeting all of the vicissitudes and harassments of mortal living. Every day a true believer lives, he finds it easier to do the right thing." (1739:8) [Emphasis added]

By what faculty do we recognize the "right thing?" And by what faculty do we CHOOSE the "right thing," between right and wrong, between truth and error?

The answer to these questions is on page 1142:

"When reason once recognizes right and wrong, it exhibits wisdom; when wisdom chooses between right and wrong, truth and error, it demonstrates spirit leading."

What is the seventh adjutant mind-spirit? And do we have to exhibit proficiency at the levels of the lower adjutant mind-spirits before we advance to the higher? Do we have to be proficient at the level of the spirit of worship (do we have to become proficient worshipers?) before we can (or do) become active at the level of the spirit of wisdom? Worship is the highest privilege and the first duty of all created intelligences." (303:5) But the spirit of worship comes before the spirit of wisdom- worship before wisdom. This is no coincidence. When you are active at the level of wisdom, it demonstrates spirit leading (and proficiency at worship?). And he who is spirit led is IMMUNE to depression, disappointment, and other perturbations. May all of us pray for personal and social peace among all readers of The URANTIA Book and among all our brothers and sisters on Urantia.

When the flood tides of human adversity, selflessness, cruelty, hate, malice, and jealousy beat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion, the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassailable; at least this is true of every human being who has dedicated the keeping of his soul to the indwelling spirit of the eternal God. ~ The URANTIA Book p. 1096