The Second Mile: The Challenge, the Message, the Way

The Challenge

What unifies us today is orr awareness that the dawn of a new and enlightened spiritual era on Urantia is here, and we have enlisted as pilgrims of its progress. Just as the light of dawn disseminates across the horizon on a world of space, so must the dawn of a new spiritual era be disseminated across the horizon until it encompasses the whole of humankind.

Revelation is evolutionary but always progressive. … It is the mission of revelation to sort and censor the successive religions of evolution. But if revelation is to exalt and upstep the religions of evolution, then must such divine visitations portray teachings which are not too far removed from the thought and reactions of the age in which they are presented. Thus must and does revelation always keep in touch with evolution. Always must the religion of revelation be limited by man’s capacity of receptivity. [Paper 92:4.1, page 1007:1]

Herein lies the paradox: The nature and content of this sweeping fifth epochal revelation seems to contradict this statement regarding the progression of revelational upstepping. The key word here is sweeping. The question is not why we received the revelation, but why such an extraordinary one? It is clear to us all why we received it. on our historically beleaguered and quarantined planet, science is rapidly advancing, evolutionary religion is stalled, and man’s attempt to coordinate these two domains into a logical philosophy has failed. Revelation is needed to illuminate evolutionary religion and to aid man in constructing a new and logical philosophy whereby he can arrive at an understanding of his sure and settled place in the universe.

But why is The Urantia Book so revealing in its extent of Universal truth? Why is it “out of step” in its upstepping? I believe that modern agondonter man has been given a unique challenge, and it is not what you’re thinking (live The Urantia Book teachings, disseminate The Urantia Book). It is much more than this. Let’s go back for a moment to the bestowal commission. Remember that Immanuel said to Michael in the final words of the bestowal charge:

Your great mission… is embraced in your decision to live a life wholeheartedly motivated to do the will of your Paradise Father, thus to reveal God, your Father, in the flesh and especially to the creatures of the flesh…[and to] [E]xhibit in your one short life in the flesh, as it has never before been seen in all Nebadon, the transcendent possibilities attainable by a God-knowing human during the short career of mortal existence, and make a new and illuminating interpretation of man and the vicissitudes of his planetary life to all the superhuman intelligences of all Nebadon, and for all time. [Paper 120:2.8, page 1328:5]

On the morning of April 7, A.D. 30, over 2,000 years ago, as Jesus stood before Pilate, he did just that: he raised us all up in the eyes of his universe. He demonstrated that even on a backward planet man could champion all his vicissitudes. He validated for eternity the Father’s ascension plan. He exhibited once and for all that faith-children of the realms are undauntable. His life exemplified that all of humanity’s transcendent possibilities are attainable when man goes into partnership with God. over 2,000 years later, The Urantia Book is our wake-up call to that partnership. And it is Jesus’ illumination of man’s maximum human potential that beckons us to our task.

We are now in partnership with God in a unique and unprecedented plan for the spiritual and social reconstruction of the planet. It is the biggest deal ever made, and we need a universe perspective to understand our partnership role. Look at the missions of the divine Sons on an average planet. The great social achievement of the planetary prince age is the emergence of family life. Next, the culminating development of the following era—the Adamic age—is universal interest in true philosophy, and the crowning achievement of this age is social brotherhood. Then, with brotherhood flourishing, the Magisterial or Avonal Sons arrive to begin their work of spiritual uplift. Anywhere from 25- to 50,000 years they work to bring the planet to its highest ethical standard and to a fullness of a great spiritual awakening. And when the planet is ripe for spiritualization, a bestowal Son arrives to demonstrate “the new and living way.”

The established plan is always social brotherhood first; and then comes the spiritualization of humanity. On our world the plan fell into disarray, and modern man is now floundering in his predicament of intellectual progress hindered by spiritual stagnation. So, in our case, we are going to have to do it the other way around. On Urantia it is the upstepping of the spiritualization of humanity which will lead us to the next required evolutionary goal, which is universal social brotherhood.

That’s the purpose of our task. The challenge, from on high, is that this tremendous task has been given to agondonters. Can we, the early receivers of The Urantia Book, collectively in the next century and progressively during the next millennium, harness our potentials and successfully broadcast the new teachings for the advancement of all evolutionary religions and for the spiritual and cultural enlightenment of all mankind? Will we be the men and women who will presage the eventual flowering of a new and universal philosophy on earth? This is not to say we are to become philosophers.

Religion does need new leaders, spiritual men and women who will dare to depend solely on Jesus and his incomparable teachings. [Paper 195:9.4, page 2082:9]

We will be the teachers of expanded spiritual truth:

The quickest way to realize the brotherhood of man on Urantia is to effect the spiritual transformation of present-day humanity. [Paper 52:6.7, page 598:2]

Recall these quotes:

Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustments, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment. [Paper 195:9.2, page 2082:7]

If Christianity persists in neglecting its spiritual mission while it continues to busy itself with social and material problems, the spiritual renaissance must await the coming of these new teachers of Jesus’ religion who will be exclusively devoted to the spiritual regeneration of men. And then will these spirit-born souls quickly supply the leadership and inspiration requisite for the social, moral, economic, and political reorganization of the world. [Paper 195:9.4, page 2082:9]

We’re also told that this new and oncoming social order will not settle down complacently for a millennium and that these progressing changes in the upstepping of social relations can result in lasting brotherhood only by the ministry of religion.

In the drama that is about to unfold, the cast of characters does not include superhuman personalities. Many thousands of lead parts have been handed out—freely given to any outstretched hand. And—with confidence from unseen directors—we have been given blank scripts. Dissemination plans were not part of The Urantia Book. It is up to us to chart a wise course.

Let us begin with the understanding that in the modern era we must be the evangels of new and advanced spiritual truth who will pave the way to the universal acceptance of the golden rule:

It is futile to talk about a revival of primitive Christianity; you must go forward from where you find yourselves. Modern culture must become spiritually baptized with a new revelation of Jesus’ life and illuminated with a new understanding of his gospel of eternal salvation. [Paper 195:10.1, page 2084:1]

We are taught that:

It is not the first mile of compulsion, duty, or convention that will transform man and his world, but rather the second mile of free service and liberty-loving devotion that betokens the Jesusonian reaching forth to grasp his brother in love and sweep him on under spiritual guidance toward the higher and divine goal of mortal existence. [Paper 195:10.5, page 2084:5]

As we go forward on that second mile, let us take up the challenge before us and demonstrate to the onlooking universe that ascendent sons—inspired agondonter man— armed only with his faith and illuminated by truth—can and will lead a twice darkened planet to the goal of this age: “peace on earth and good will towards men.” This will be the victory over impatience, the realization of the living gospel, and the triumph of the human potential.

The Message

In delivering his epochal Sermon, Jesus concluded by stating “I have come to proclaim spiritual liberty, teach eternal truth, and foster living faith.” On that day he inaugurated the final, spiritual phase of his gospel:

  • Divine Sonship
  • Spiritual Liberty
  • Eternal Salvation

Teachers of expanded spiritual truth, with leadership and inspiration, are called to carry forward the restatement of this triune message of Jesus with new meaning and power. In preparation, we would do well to review the following excerpt from Immanuel’s bestowal charge to Michael:

…function largely in the role of a teacher. Give attention, first, to the liberation and inspiration of man’s spiritual nature. Next, illuminate the darkened human intellect; heal the souls of men, and emancipate their minds from age-old fears…set rebellion-segregated man spiritually free. [Paper 120: 2.5, page 1328:2-3]

These particular words of counsel should be taken to heart by the teachers of advancing spiritual truth. We are to so conduct ourselves that the effect we have will be to emancipate, illuminate, liberate, and inspire all those with whom we come in contact.

The Way

With the foregoing in place, the way is truly simple:

  1. Know the Message
  • Teach the new spiritual brotherhood of Jesus: Divine sonship, spiritual liberty, eternal salvation.
  1. Know the Goal: planetary Social Brotherhood
  • Do it with spiritual fragrance, “as we pass by”; show forth the fruits of the spirit.
  • Do it with inspired leadership.

Armed with the message and nourished by the fruits of the spirit for the way ahead, let us take up the challenge and go forward as true soldiers of the circles towards the goal of a spiritually inspired, socially transformed human society, where man loves his brother and calls a loving God his Father.