A Personal Note To Our Spanish-Speaking Brothers and Sisters

The conclusions that we drew in the Epilogue of the 2000 edition of A History of the Urantia Papers remain as stated in the Epilogue. No important material fact has been successfully challenged. There were no intrusive changes made by human beings in the 1955 printing of the Urantia Papers. As to some of the events that took place in the Forum, the publication of The Sherman Diaries provided new information that justified a rewrite of the material relating to "The Sherman Tempest" in the original edition. However, The Sherman Diaries did not provide any new evidence to support the claim that Dr. Sadler had altered the text of the Urantia Papers. There are those who continue to believe that he did, however. Challenges continue to the veracity of individual scientific facts and historical sections of the Papers, and readers will need to judge these issues for themselves.

What, then, is a Spanish-speaking reader of the Urantia Papers to conclude? Frankly, in my judgment, English-speaking readers confront the same questions. Which organization is to be believed, which truly serves the Revelation? Or, are we to shun organizations altogether? And, why is it that the Revelation has not attracted more attention in America? Is it possible that the Spanish-speaking world will be the primary torch-carriers for the Revelation? These questions will be answered in time. After close to forty years of studying the Papers and working with Urantia organizations of all kinds, my own perspective may be instructive.

It appears that each existing organization has its particular appeal, and attracts certain readers. In my judgment, there is also an invisible spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood that transcends all of these divisions and debates. If we divide all truth-seekers into vertical segments, the Foundation supporters in one segment, Fellowship supporters in another, and so on, the situation appears hopeless. However, is we divide all truth seekers horizontally into layers according to a reasonable judgment of their maturity and devotion to enlightened values, a different picture emerges. Those who would be our leaders may no longer occupy the higher levels, and many individuals who were perhaps previously unknown will surely be found at the top. These high-minded individuals are the servant-leaders who devote themselves to the task of the Revelation, whether they have heard of the Revelation or not. How do we recognize these people? Jesus gave us the perfect test: we will know them by their fruits. In other words, if they claim to be an apple tree, ask them to show you their apples.

Ironically, the original objective of the Revelators seems to have been achieved. The validity of the Revelation must stand upon its content, not upon any supposed miraculous origin or upon any human authority or organization. It is clear that the Revelation disclaims its own infallibility and limitations [See page 1008]. Also, it is clear that we have been given a Revelation so that we can do something with it [See pages 2017-2018]. What then, are we to do? How shall we know the truth? How shall we bring the truths of the Revelation to the people of the world?

The Papers tell us the only way to reveal truth is by living it. Jesus lived it. It seems clear that we are called to reveal the Revelation by how we live our lives. We are called, all of us, no less than those of the clergy. In essence, the Urantia Papers are a call to evolutionary mortals to follow the Master and live the truth. This task is far from complete. It was set into motion 400 billion years ago, when raw matter and the dead vaults of space began to stir in augmentation of a mighty creative enterprise. It is a task that was carried forward by the Creator Son himself on the dusty roads of Israel 2,000 years ago, and it was turned over to human hands to complete.

In the final analysis, what we claim to "believe" is of little importance. People long believed the world is flat. If the new Revelation of the religion of Jesus is simply a finished set of propositions to be believed, this is not so costly a requirement for entering the kingdom. If Jesus of Nazareth is the greatest man who ever lived, then there is peace and comfort in his gospel, but no urgency. But, we should recall the words of C. S. Lewis, who said: "If you seek peace, you will find neither peace nor truth. If you seek truth, you will find peace and truth." If we dare to imagine that it is true that a pre-existent being came from Paradise and created the local universe, and then, disguised as an ordinary man, came back to a dangerous, strife-torn evolutionary planet, and that he suffered on the cross of human existence for nearly 35 years, and that his task of enlightening evolutionary minds is yet to be completed, and that he has entrusted it to human beings to finish, then the religion of Jesus is not so easy.

If it is true that God has need of us and that Jesus still lives, we find ourselves gazing into the Master’s loving, passionate eyes. Do we not avoid the issue when we, like Nalda at the well, point in every direction but our own hearts? If we point to the distant hills and talk about this statement or that in the Papers, or about community and distributing books, or about teaching missions, and who owns The Urantia Book, and what we believe, do we not miss the point? If we do not avoid the inquiring eyes of the Master, we will be brought around full circle. The question of whether or not we will take up our own crosses and follow Jesus confronts us with greater and greater urgency. The Master ceaselessly asks us to look again into our own hearts, and says that if any man or woman would follow him, they must disregard self, and take up their responsibilities daily, and follow him. If this is indeed the task before us, the new and everlasting religion of Jesus as revealed in the Urantia Papers is not quite so easy. It is no wonder that the Papers claim that, much like Nalda,

"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 and requiring that the energies of living be consecrated to the unselfish service of the brotherhood of man.

"Selfish men and women simply will not pay such a price for even the greatest spiritual treasure ever offered mortal man. Only when man has become sufficiently disillusioned by the sorrowful disappointments attendant upon the foolish and deceptive pursuits of selfishness, and subsequent to the discovery of the barrenness of formalized religion, will he be disposed to turn wholeheartedly to the gospel of the kingdom, the religion of Jesus of Nazareth." [2083]