By Bob Solone, Urantia Foundation, Illinois, United State.
Imagine, for a moment, that you have two great passions in your life: first, music, “the universal language of men, angels, and spirits” and then The Urantia Book, the fifth epochal revelation to our world. 44:1.15 (500.6) Then imagine that, for the first half of your adult life, you were able to pursue your first passion as a career and profession, sharing the love and gift of music. Finally imagine adding the joy of joining the staff of Urantia Foundation, the original publisher and custodian of The Urantia Book.
Well, that’s what has happened to me, making me the luckiest person I know. Working with the Foundation, first as a volunteer in the mid-1980s, then officially joining the staff in 1989, and having worn several hats over the intervening years at 533 Diversey—which my friends and I used to lovingly refer to as “the manger”—has been, along with music, the greatest joy in my life.
My ongoing role in Reader Services at the Foundation has been a blessing, a challenge, and an education. Responding to inquiries from readers across the globe has not only inspired me to increase my own understanding of the text, but also has been somewhat of a lesson in human behavior. I learned very early on that there are no official interpretations of the text of The Urantia Book. Experience in a study group taught me that each person interprets the text in his or her own way. For me, this truly makes it even more interesting than studying alone.
When responding to questions about the book, I always remind myself that I am representing Urantia Foundation, the publisher. Therefore I never attempt to interpret the text, but remain neutral and try to refer the inquisitive reader to parts of the book that may address their question. This can be a challenge. Sometimes I must admit, that as merely a fellow student of the book, I do not have the answer. But I can always say something like, “hey, that’s a good question, I’ll bring it up to my fellow students at my study group.”
And lastly, in my small role as a cog in the wheel of Urantia Foundation, I am always reminded of the importance of fostering study groups around the world. As our early leaders were told, “thousands of study groups must be brought into existence.” And we are fortunate to have many tools to assist readers in their search for other readers and study groups, such as urantiastudygroup.org [2]. So, I am thankful every day that I can contribute in some small way to this revelation.