The spread of the Urantia teachings to the world at large continues inexorably, quietly and effectively. Books are more and more finding their way to many parts of the world, increasingly through the able assistance of traveling readers of The Urantia Book who have made a serious attempt to locate libraries who would be willing to accept donation copies.
Too, others are, through correspondence, interesting others on a person-to-person basis, and at the right time are introducing their international brethren to The Urantia Book.
The importance of this work was pointed up at the last meeting of the International Fellowship Committee by Urantia Brotherhood Field Representative, Julia K. Fenderson, who recounted some of her impressions and experiences in a recent trip to the Mid-East. Perhaps her moat vivid experience was the realization while looking out over Amman, Jordan, the Philadelphia of old, during prayer time, that the Father loves the entire world and it was important that the teachings of The Urantia Book were to be made available--eventually--to all mankind. One of the best ways to accomplish this task and yet avoid the stamp "made in U.S.A." is to see that the Book is placed in appropriate libraries.
To accomplish this, Julia has developed a simple but productive approach. First, an attempt is made to determine through either natives or others familiar with a particular location which libraries would be thought to be popular with people seeking religious truth and which might be willing to accept a gift of a Urantia Book. Secondly, either through a personal introduction by a mutual friend or by a letter to the person who it is determined is actually in charge of acquisitions, a personal meeting is arranged with the acquisition librarian. At that time a brief discussion of the nature of the Book, perhaps with the use of the pamphlet "Leavening Our Religious Heritage" is usually enough to determine if the library will accept the Book and make sure it is available to the reading public. If so, Julia then makes a request to headquarters to place a free gift book with the library. Once the gift is completed, Julia then believes it is important to follow up with a letter to the librarian from time to time. This is a rather simple procedure and to date has proved to be an effective one.
The International Fellowship Committee believes this is the most promising way to help set the stage for the discovery of the Urantia teachings in many countries by many people free from its overt association with American culture.
For those who have already discovered The Urantia Book, important things are happening. A major event has been the inauguration of a newsletter in French, published by the Parisian study group which itself exemplifies the international thrust of Urantia Brotherhood with participating members from France, Yugoslavia, Canada, Holland, The United Kingdom and the U.S. This is a signal event especially in view of the problems with the French translation and a number of differing national and individual viewpoints.
From our South American friends comes an invitation for a visit by Urantia Brotherhood Field Representative, Dr. Dick Prince, and Executive Committee Representative, Ms. Lynne Kulieke, to Bogota, Colombia where a study group has been carrying on the study of the Book for at least several years.
In addition to these highlights, there is much more going on than can be recounted here. One event, however, which promises to have been most worthwhile and which should be mentioned was the around the world trip recently taken by Mr. and Mrs. William M. Hales. This gave them a unique opportunity to visit with readers of The Urantia Book in such places as Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.
Finally, at this writing, my valued associate and now longtime friend, Tom Kendall, and I are preparing for a trip to Finland and France to visit with readers there. Although the trip is primarily on Foundation business, we look forward to renewing friendships with many acquaintances in those countries.
The foregoing report indicates both positive results and some promising ways to achieve them, or at least to set the stage so that they will be achieved. It is heartening in many respects. However, I would be remiss were we not to recognize that we are a long, long way from realizing a world-wide brotherhood grounded in the teachings of The Urantia Book. There are very real--though not unsurmountable problems--confronting us. We are a very human organization and the problems we deal with are inescapably very human ones. Our idealism has and will continue to be tempered by the disappointing if not sometimes hard realities of human shortcomings, shortcomings vividly portrayed in stark relief against the backdrop of our highest hopes so often so incompletely unattained--at least in this life--if not this age. Yet we are indeed the torch bearers of an epochal message for all peoples and all lands, and if we are patient, as our planetary Father and Mother should have been, and if we follow those exhortations of a wise, careful, unostentatious person-to-person spreading of the unadulterated teachings of The Urantia Book, our efforts will be counted as successful. Those later arrivals who follow after us may then stand on our shoulders as it were, and do their solid part in contributing to the eventual establishment of the living organismal brotherhood of man in the hearts of all mankind.
And so it is with uplifted faces that we look into the shining sun of a new era and behold those many opportunities for demanding yet significant planetary service. Yea, Father, thy Will be done--and we're going to help you do it.
Martin W. Myers