Attending a book fair is always interesting. Books—many books of every kind including comics, recipes, sports, stories, novels, history, science, as well as those about the customs of each invited country including our own country of Perú can be found.
This year in 2017, the International Book Fair (FIL) exceeded the attendance of last year’s book fair by 23%. Even though more adults as well as some young people used to attend, this year there were teenagers and children in the company of their parents. That does not mean that reading has increased, however the interesting thing is that families walked “together,” visiting each stand filled with books representing different companies, publishers, and countries.
I must say that participating in this type of book fair was extraordinary, not only because of the comradery we volunteers shared as brothers and sisters, but also because of the things that happened. There is one particular aspect that I must tell and that is how good it was for us Peruvian Urantia Book readers to be working at the booth for several days alongside our friends from Urantia-Bogotá.
The main objective of the book fair was not to sell books—even though each one of them was sold—but to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book. It is only by experience that we truly comprehend that there are people searching for answers—seekers of truth, and who better than children and youngsters—with their thirst of knowledge, observing it all—to generate questioning?
One morning, while waiting for the flow of people to enter the hallways of the book fair, a 7-year old child named Manuel who was holding the hand of his 5-year old little sister, approached me, and coming close asked: “Could you tell me where God is?” At first I was surprised, because people normally start asking “what is The Urantia Book” or “what is Urantia”… this beautiful being of only 7-years old went straight to the point… “Where is God?” I only managed to put my hand on his heart and told him: “here.” There was no surprise, not even doubt, in his eyes! He clearly understood and continued with the questioning: “How do I to talk to Him? Does He listen to me? Where does he live?” Then, quickly the little sister, next to him, stared at the banner with the universe printed on it and pointed her little finger towards Havona, and said: “There, right?”… I was simply amazed by the simplicity of their questions and the rapidity of their understanding. Then we talked about the meaning of loving each other as siblings, for that is what The Urantia Book teaches us when reading it.
To conclude, I consider that my experience, as part of the team in charge of the Urantia booth, was far more than a simple trip to the FIL; it was a journey of adventures that helped me to comprehend that there are not barriers, and that every thing moves and flows in order to increased understanding of where we are, and that only the “here and now” matters in order to enjoy it and appreciate it.
I extend my sincere gratitude to all those with whom we shared these days, and thanks to the Father for allowing us to have this unforgettable experience.