And It Was Then And There!
1974 was the most important year in my life. It was the year that I was introduced to The Urantia Book and the cover has not closed since.
Working for NATO in Izmir, Turkey, I found myself in a religious discussion with other NATO members at the conclusion of work one night. Each person (11 of us) brought to the discussion their personal religious beliefs of which I offered the Southern Baptist view. The group was split 50/50 in Christian and Non Christian viewpoints. At approximately 4:00 AM, a stranger to our group entered into the office where we were discussing our religious beliefs, and stood quietly against the wall listening to what we all had to say. At around 5:00, he asked if he might join the conversations offering his personal opinion on religion.
He was an American but none of us in the group had seen him before that night, yet he carried the necessary credentials on his badge to be there. Our meeting place was deep inside a mountain where security was always strictly maintained.
We welcomed him into our little group and allowed him the opportunity to talk. For 3 hours he kept us glued to our seats as he told of our Universal Father, Paradise, Havona, 7 Super Universes, Urantia and The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.
It was a profound experience to have someone in our group who knew so much and could answer nearly any question we would fire at him. I was the most excited, but extremely cautious over one human being having so much information concerning what most humans really know nothing about.
The following night, he returned and kept us for 3-4 more hours of intense discussions. I was just about to throw in the towel and classify him as another religious fanatic with a vivid imagination when I asked the following:
“WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR INFORMATION?”
He said that it was from The Urantia Book out of Chicago, IL.
The following day, he disappeared from the Mountain and we never saw him again.
I must say, I was shaken very deeply over these revelations that he spoke so confidently about. I really liked what I heard, but was scared to think that it might be the truth, for fear that it might not be. The Baptists warned of false teachings, but probably only to keep a person focused on their traditions.
Soon I was transferred from Turkey to Bangkok, Thailand. It was an unusual move due to the distance and cost associated with moving a family via the Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal, Pacific Ocean and finally into Thailand. Nonetheless, I was approved for such a long move only to find myself sitting at my desk one day when an American Civilian walked up to me, stood by my desk and made the following comment.
“Jason,” he said, “Are you aware of The Urantia Book out of Chicago, IL? You should obtain a copy of this book and read it.”
He walked away, disappearing, I never saw him again.
I followed the sign so given, ordered the book directly from The Urantia Foundation. Skeptical at first, I tried my best to prove the book was based on false traditions. With each passing day, my Thought Adjuster (the fragment of God in every human being) worked on me and it was sooner than I ever imagined that I accepted by faith the Universal Father and Christ Michael, and gained a strong foothold to weather the many storms we humans face here on Urantia.
My life is anything but calm and the struggles my family and I face daily would stagger the imagination of many. We hold our heads high, we firmly plant our faith on the Father and we walk in the light even while darkness prevails. Life often reminds me that the bright light that surrounds the Eternal Father is so bright that were we humans to see it, it would be as blinding as total darkness.
I was a Christian before The Urantia Book, now I am a human Son of God, working hard to uphold his laws and enjoy his loving kindness. No longer do I judge others for what they believe, for I am not their judge, just their human brother, struggling to live and find peace like them.
May God enrich each of your lives, giving light when life becomes dark and often cloudy.
