Joy, Hope, And A Sense of Future — Where Did It Go In Our Troubling World?

by Van of Urantia on March 25, 2016

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I am a “Baby Boomer” and grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, with memories of television shows like the one about the Nelson family, which depicted a happy, easy-going American family living the American Dream. When I graduated high school in 1964—even though the Vietnam War was going on and I was stupid enough to try to join the Marines—there was still a sense of the future. There was still joy in the world and a sense of hope for the future. Even though there were anti-war demonstrations and riots in the streets, life seemed to still go on, with the majority of people having hope in the future of America and in the future of the world at large. The Civil Rights movement was happening, and for those involved in that movement, there was anticipation that change would eventually occur. For most other Americans (particularly white America), the Civil Rights movement was something that was happening on television and not part of their lives, for they couldn’t relate to the suffering caused by racism.

In 1989 something in the world switched. The Berlin Wall came down, which symbolized the ending of the “Cold War” and an added sense of hope for those of Western civilization. At the same time, in other parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East, there was this dichotomy of increased deaths due to political upheaval, and wars—which brought discouragement and fear of the future for those people. Thousands began to die worldwide due to weather changes. It was many years later that I understood why 1989 seemed to be a pivotal year, for something did happen—an “upstepping” of the Adjudication of the Bright and Morning Star versus Lucifer, which actually started in 1911. (see The Cosmic Family, Volume 1  globalchangetools.org )

Right after 1911 there was World War I, with millions of people dying, and then the great plague/pandemic that happened in 1918-1919 with an estimated 50 to 75 million people around the world dying, and then World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam followed with high casualties. But still in the midst of all this, people in the U.S. still felt that they lived in a world with a bright future.

Gradually, as the upstepping of the adjudication has intensified with millions more people dying worldwide—earthquakes and tsunamis, a variety of diseases caused by strange and new viruses, and wars and terrorism—the joy and hope began to lessen and eventually dissipate, where now in 2016 there is a new kind of energy on the planet, an energy of fear and despair. People’s faces show it. People’s actions show it. Their responses to each other show it. There’s anger in the air. Paris, Brussels, what’s next? Most no longer think it’s going to stop. Most think, “When and where will it happen next?” “Maybe right here in America again, another 9/11, maybe even worse.”

The Energy In The Air

As energy follows thought, what kind of energy happens when the thoughts of people are fearful and angry? What kind of reactions occur from people who are uncertain about their future and their children’s future? So many people interpret the actions of others with blinders on, with misperceptions, with judgments, and with racism. Everyday actions are based upon a new fear, a fear that tomorrow may not come. And unfortunately, that has been the reality of millions who have died in the upstepping of the adjudication.

There are so many things to be frightened of—the increasing loss of bees worldwide, “chemtrails” being dropped on us from the skies with toxins in them that make people sick, mosquitos carrying viruses that deform babies, poisons in our foods, lead in our water, storms that bring floods where thousands of people are displaced from their homes, millions of refugees who have to leave their countries in fear of their lives, the continued mass killings by teenagers and others in our schools and work places, and terrorists who explode bombs and kill people with automatic weapons in concert halls, restaurants, and malls.

For millions, their reality is that there’s nowhere to go to be safe from something that is out to get them, whether it be in our nation or another. In a way, millions feel like they are refugees and victims of some act of terrorism, even though they have a roof over their heads—so far—and no physical violence has happened to them—yet. So how can we be joyful and hopeful in such a world, when even many of our leaders in this country seem to have gone mad with fear, and even racism, bringing back a modernized philosophy of the centuries-old Crusades?

The mega-corporation Monsanto leads the way in creating fertilizers and pesticides that poison our soil and water, and genetically-modified seeds meant to destroy the diversity of other seeds, thus attempting to control the food market with food that looks good on the outside but has little nutritional value and is even disease-causing. The status quo still hangs on to the “yesterdays” of the ’50s and ’60s, even though those days are long gone and apathy has taken the place of empathy. Corruption is in every form of government and corporations, as well as in sports. The sense of honor and fair play is gone, and the name of the game is only to win at any cost. 

It is written, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” And individuals who have true vision and try to make real changes, who speak the truth regardless of consequences to themselves, are maligned or outright assassinated. So how can one have joy today in such a world? The Commandments of God, which are recognized in all major world religions, are displaced by the philosophy of “Everything’s OK. Do your own thing. To each his own.” Even people of faith often misinterpret the meaning of freewill choice and dilute the responsibility of men and women of God to speak up when they see wrongdoing, particularly with the young.

We can only find our peace in our Universal Father and Him only, not in humanmade institutions. God gives us a sense of hope in the coming back to this planet of “The Promised One,” known in different religions by many names. But without the hope of the Divine Son of God coming back to this fallen world to establish a planetary-wide Divine Administration, there is no hope.

We here at Global Community Communications Alliance, at Avalon Gardens & EcoVillage, have established our subculture within Divine Administration principles. It’s a new paradigm, although King Arthur tried to establish it at Camelot, as well as many other prophets and visionaries throughout history trying to create something similar. But usually, in almost all cases through the centuries, the status quo came against them, sometimes with actual armies. Today it is done by malignment, misrepresentation, character assassination, and outright lies.

The Hopi say that humankind is going through the times of “The Purification.” The Christians call it “The Tribulation.” Both believe in the new world to come. Christians call it the “New Millennium.” Hopis call it the “Fifth World.” I believe that the language of the Fifth World is a revelation called the Fifth Epochal Revelation that is found in The URANTIA Book and The Cosmic Family volumes (which is the continuation of The URANTIA Book). It is the language that will unify all races and creeds.

However, much more important than the beautiful concepts of this epochal revelation is the fact that we as individuals, and as one planetary family under one God, must see each other as brothers and sisters. We must see each other as ascending sons and daughters of God, not as Catholics or Protestants or Moslems or Jews or Hindus or Buddhists. To remove schisms we must remove isms. We must seek out our spiritual elders and sit at their feet. But we must be sure they are true elders and talk about spirituality and not joining a religion, and there’s a big difference between spirituality and being religious.

Spirituality is an inward change, a continuous change, a daily resurrection. It’s being born anew every day. It’s not the way you dress or even the scriptures you read. It’s being compassionate and kind and loving and caring. It’s not just speaking prophecy but recognizing the good in others. It’s not having your gift of healing but realizing God is the Healer. It’s not having the gift of tongues but watching your own tongue, the words you speak or don’t speak. It’s not someone serving you, but you serving others.

And when the world begins to function this way, as a human race, and the thoughts of people change to serve others, rather than for others to serve you, then the world will be joyful again. Until then, the best thing that you can do—like Mahatma Gandhi said—is to change yourself.

Humanity definitely complicates the understanding of morality. The meaning of morality can’t be defined in a few simple sentences or with any one definition—volumes of explanation are needed. God the Father gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which Jews, Christians, and Muslims use as a foundational code for morality, and other major religions have similar standards of morality. This has worked fairly well for the last 10,000 years for civilized society. According to The URANTIA Book, the true commandments of God are written in our superconscious minds. You can simplify it and say, “…are written in our hearts.” However, many people don’t follow what the heart is telling them and do what they want to do and when they want to do it. They don’t listen to that still small voice inside of them, which The URANTIA Book refers to as the Thought Adjuster or Spirit of God or Fragment of the Father. Many think of that inner voice as “conscience.”

In order for a civilization to exist, we need a code of ethics, a code of morality, laws. However, the understanding of morality and its laws must be in true alignment with God’s morality, which is based on His love, mercy, and administration of justice for all—with no respecter of religion, race, creed, nationality, or gender. It becomes very confusing when governments adopt laws that go against the laws of God. And it gets even more muddled when religious leaders and their followers misinterpret, distort, and misapply God’s laws of morality and goodness. Thus the dilemma on this earth since the Lucifer Rebellion, which began the deviation from the pattern and ways of the Universal Father.

Today in America most judges go by the letter of the law and rarely apply the grace of the law, which makes it almost impossible to be truly righteous in their decisions. As a result, there is a pervading attitude in our country that injustice is the reality in our court systems. There is even a popular saying among people, including attorneys:  “If you want justice, stay out of the courts.” Where divine law is absent within any civilization, there’s confusion and eventual anarchy, and where divine law is not implemented in judicial systems, true justice is impossible.

In higher worlds of time and space, weapons are not needed to enforce the law, and there is either a minimal police force or none at all. The rule of law is kept by people making right decisions because there is a moral fabric that holds everything together. That fabric has long been gone in the United States, and the fullness of that moral fabric was never totally implemented by our Founding Fathers nor by the generations of political leaders that followed. The Constitution was a beginning, and the majority of the people had a sense of hope in our nation—“For the People, Of the People, and By the People.”

That hope was here in this country for a long time, and millions of immigrants came here from all over the world, because America was a nation of hope for people of all races and creeds. Now it seems to be gone. Is this the end of hope in our nation? Is it the end of compassion? Is it the end of kindness? Is it the end of common sense?

I personally think that The Promised One needs to return for true justice for all the peoples of the planet to take place. So we get together every Wednesday at 11:11 a.m. and pray for that, because the world has gone over the top in its madness and apathy. Here’s a link. Join us.  http://1111worldprayer.org


About the Author

Van of Urantia

Van of Urantia is one of the most unique and distinct spiritual leaders and authors of our time. His work provides wisdom, cosmic absolutes, and answers to the questions of the seeking soul.

He is the co-founder of Global Community Communications Alliance, a multifaceted global change nonprofit, comprised of approximately 120 change agents from five continents. Van of Urantia also co-founded The University of Ascension Science & The Physics of Rebellion.

His lifelong devotion to God and service to humankind has led him through many levels of spiritual growth resulting in his founding innovative and highly successful programs for helping others to ascend spiritually so they can heal and prosper as ascending souls of God.

Van of Urantia has been very active for the last 30 years in trying to get governmental legislation against Internet misrepresentation and degradation of character stopped on the Internet. He appreciates your prayers to help activists all over the world against this kind of character assassination.