2004-04-08-Global View, Gender

Session

Opening

Greetings to you. I am Elyon, here this evening to communicate with you regarding the topic of progress.

Lesson

Progress

So often the difficulty a personality has in attaining goals is due to a lack of perspective regarding what it takes to get from one place to another. Although intellectually you recognize that there is effort, struggle, and ups and downs involved in any endeavor, the impetus to begin is often halted in the desire to already have the achievement. Progress is a direction, not a completion of goals, and so we endeavor to stimulate your thinking, regarding the possibilities that surface in your lives, toward the acts that may lead toward higher avenues of service and attainment.

Take the time in your daily stillness to mull over ideas that surface, to contemplate the goal and the achievement and the possibilities lying on the horizon. But then utilize your indwelling aid, your fragment of God, to discuss and contemplate the avenues that you may follow in working toward the possibilities you foresee. You are not alone in this universe, stranded and drifting on the seas, trying to move your own raft toward dry land. Indeed, you have a compass; you have a pilot that can serve you even as you attempt to serve Him.

Recognize that the will of God is not one thing here or there, one achievement, or taking this road instead of that road, but rather the will of God is the attempt to utilize God in your daily life, your desire to open to that presence and share what is going on and invite the illumination that is possible. The will of God is your inner cooperation with the Divine.

Progress is the small steps taken to achieve the larger dreams. If you want to see the brotherhood of man recognized, what small steps can you foresee that would aid in this recognition? Perhaps being receptive to the daily opportunities, taking steps to help someone when you see that they need help, to be brotherly (or sisterly, as you may).

Tonight I encourage you to ponder ways that you may progress toward the goals that creep up in your mind. Instead of dismissing them as not possible, perhaps look inward, sharing with God the idea and recognize if a step or two surface that you may do now or tomorrow.

Service characterizes all universe ascenders. As you increasingly become identified with the desire to do good daily, you are strengthening your eternal potential and solidifying your place in the cosmos as an ascending child of God. Move forward in those ways that seem fit for you and know that a spiritual rallying will come behind you and aid you as you move forward.

At this time I would be glad to share with you and discuss the questions on your mind. Greetings.

Dialogue

(Questions are summarized as recorder didn't pick them up.)

Q1: Elyon, it sounded like the message was a private one for me tonight. I thank you and the T/R.

Elyon: Your gratitude is noted and I thank you for your expression of kindness.

Q2: Elyon, sometimes it is hard to see the progress, but I have faith that it is so. We can't always see our effect on other people. It seems like there might be a time to come soon where progress may be seen in the world at a larger degree. Is this so?

Elyon: Well that depends on the actions you take, both in community and as individuals. The happenings of the universe beyond your sight are understandably inviting to know. There are many opportunities for you daily, however. You are right that you cannot see all the progress that is being made on a global scale or even in your own life, nor do you understand the influence that you have.

The spiritual principle that says that the act is ours and the consequence is God's (48:7.13) suggests that in faith we can serve, we can share what it is that we know, but we are not to be overly concerned with the result. And yet, if you could stand back, much as your Jimmy Stewart portrayed (It's a Wonderful Life), and look upon the events of your life, you might see the people you've touched, but never knew you touched. And on the other side, due to the distortions of your world almost all citizens act out in negative ways at times that can influence others in their lives.

My sharing with you would be to have you recognize that you are an influencing factor in the universe and that your steps make a difference. I suggest that it is probable that you will see degrees of progress, both on the community level and the individual level, because you have committed yourself to being of service; you want to do good. And, therefore, progress is assured as long as you have this motivation.

Is this answering your question this evening or can I clarify further for you?

Q2: Thank you. That was good. It's nice to know we can influence people that we don't even know we've influenced.

Elyon: Yes. Hold this perspective in your mind that you are valuable and the energy you put out will affect the scheme of things. So I encourage your continued strengthening and building of quality actions in your life, and to let the seeds fall where they may.

Q2: Thank you.

Q3: It's good to speak with you Elyon. There is much turmoil in the world today. Can you give us some perspective on progress on a global scale?

Elyon: This strife on your world is, perhaps, unavoidable due to the clashing of ideologies, and yet these struggles, although bloody and horrific at times or merely politically contentious, have their eventual resolution. The real value is in what you can do now, what is possible for you today. Are you in a position to help the world where you live? Can you make a difference? Can you speak out about your understanding? Can you represent how you would want to see the world living?

Indeed, many activists in the world, in the desire to change injustice, lose sight of the reality that love, unity, and cooperation are necessary each day. I ask you to consider the global view, to recognize the struggles, to participate where you can, but then become a representative of those qualities now. And this can be done through that same sharing of the inner life with God. He will answer to you in your individual mind, to the extent that he can communicate with you, what those possibilities are for you. And so it is with this inward seeking that you will recognize what is possible for you.

There are great writers in the world, great speakers, effective ministers, and there are many loving and caring souls who live in your neighborhood and each day do what they can in their circumstance to become the best person they can be. The global view will be known, but should not be so overriding that you should be depressed in your own spiritual journey, to achieve. Is this helpful to you?

Q3: Yes, that was a beautiful answer. Thank you very much.

Elyon: You are welcome.

Q4: Can you take another question tonight?

Elyon: Certainly.

Language, Gender

Q4: The Urantia Book speaks of the Universal Father and I've been sharing with a few female friends who have had difficulty with the language that is more masculine. I try to share the feminine aspects as well, but the difficulty is there. Can you speak about some of the feminine aspects of deity?

Elyon: Indeed, are you correct when you refer to the fact that the concepts we must utilize are severely watered down to even become comprehensible to you on this world. Add to that the changing times, the adjustment of the mores, and the fluctuation in meanings, and it becomes quite difficult, indeed, to shed light from a static source, a book, a record that, while being the most advanced truth that has ever been shared on a large scale with your world, is continually becoming outdated and less recognizable in the terminology for the current time. It even states within the revelation that it would become in some ways outdated even though there are universal truths which will never become outdated. (101:4)

The parental concept is important for you to grasp as human beings in understanding the relationship of the divine to you personally. And there are qualities attributed that tend to be cliches. There are masculine qualities and feminine qualities on your world that caused us to recognize that a differentiation was necessary in approaching the peoples of twentieth century America where the revelation was shared in its initial stage.

The highest and noblest features of a father, if you would think about what you would want your father to be -- some of you have had good ones and some not so good as far as their manifestation of divinity in daily life -- but there is an ideal of one who provides and protects, one who oversees and offers insight into quality behavior.

And there, likewise, are characteristics in a mother, much the same in quality, that nurture, minister to the daily needs, who wipe your noses and change your diapers, who generally are there to bring you to fruition with an all pervading love.

And yet these are cliches. These same qualities that good mothers manifest can be found in good fathers and those qualities that good fathers possess can be found in good mothers. But the differentiation necessary, asked us to compromise in a way that can give a concept to a human mind that there are differences in the manifestation of divinity and deity even if there is unity in intent and quality.

Dissemination

Your role in sharing with others that which you have been given, is to look at ways that you can be the bridge. It is not so important that a person necessarily grasp the Urantia Book, the revelation in book form with all of its language, as it is that they understand that there is a pervading love and a protective and comforting presence that is integral to their existence.

And if they struggle with the language, what would Jesus do? The question you so often ask as humans. He would find a way to relate it to them that was not offensive rather than requiring them to accept it your way. And so my suggestion is to learn to bring out the quality of the concept and let the language be what it is, for the real revelation is your own manifestation of the value that you receive.

If they can accept this book, then great. If they cannot, then recognize that it is perhaps not because it lacks value as much as it has, in its own creation, put up barriers, even as it builds bridges for others. Are you understanding my commentary this evening?

Q4: Yes. It was a very clear answer. Thank you.

Elyon: Thank you. And continue to share the love you find with those in your life and perhaps they will be inspired by your dedication even if they are not as inspired by the source that stimulated your thinking in the first place.

Are there any other comments this evening, my friends?

Q5: If there are no other comments Elyon, could you close with a prayer?

Elyon: Manu, my friend, I would ask if you would be willing to share a prayer this evening in my stead as I would like to gauge your own ability to turn toward the divine. We often serve in sharing prayers for you to model our own dedication and seeking of God and perhaps as we are brothers and sisters, you can do the same for us tonight, if you are willing?

Q5: Yes, I would be.

Elyon: Thank you, my friends, and with no further commentary I will turn into the stillness and listen for my brother's words.

Closing

Q5: Our dear Father who pervades all space and is present now and in every time, we thank you so much for giving us this fantastic opportunity to be together, to feel your presence, and to listen to the wonderful words of our brothers in other dimensions of your creation. We thank you wholeheartedly for everything that you have granted us and everything you have manifested in our lives. We do realize that it is much more than we can imagine or comprehend in that the eternal life you have granted us does last for an eternity and beyond the scope of our imagination. We thank you again wholeheartedly for all the love and attention that we get from you and for all other manifestations of you in our world around us. Please continue to guide us in every moment and every position that we find ourselves.

I'd like to end this prayer with a prayer I read in the TM newsgroup by Brother Dave. It is our prayer that thy will be supreme in our lives on a daily and moment by moment basis. Thank you very much.