In the .pdf document that Professor Jinwoog has sent to workshop participants, he described two feasible cosmic principles and seven practical virtues, or qualities of character, which are part of cosmic citizenship. Feasible means doable. Practical implies down-to-earth, here and now. In order for these principles and virtues to be effective in our lives, we need to apply them to progress.
For this segment of the workshop, we have 30 minutes. For the first ten minutes, we will consider these principles and qualities—in preparation for practicing cosmic citizenship in breakout groups of two as randomly arranged by Zoom. In the second ten minutes, we have the conversations. We listen to and support the other person and share from your thoughts and experience. After the conversations, we will share in the chat for five minutes about what difference it makes in conversation to be aware of cosmic citizenship. Then I will conclude with a few comments.
Both cosmic principles are included in this next quote, 110:3.6-10 (1206.4-8)
As we read and listen to this quote together, look for what you might be able to use in your one-to-one conversation as you listen, support, and share.
You must not regard co-operation with your Adjuster as a particularly conscious process, for it is not; but your motives and your decisions, your faithful determinations and your supreme desires, do constitute real and effective co-operation. You can consciously augment Adjuster harmony by:
1. Choosing to respond to divine leading; sincerely basing the human life on the highest consciousness of truth, beauty, and goodness, and then co-ordinating these qualities of divinity through wisdom, worship, faith, and love.
2. Loving God and desiring to be like him—genuine recognition of the divine fatherhood and loving worship of the heavenly Parent.
3. Loving man and sincerely desiring to serve him—wholehearted recognition of the brotherhood of man coupled with an intelligent and wise affection for each of your fellow mortals.
4. Joyful acceptance of cosmic citizenship—honest recognition of your progressive obligations to the Supreme Being, awareness of the interdependence of evolutionary man and evolving Deity. This is the birth of cosmic morality and the dawning realization of universal duty.
What does the interdependence of man and the Supreme Being mean? As we evolve, we are in the domain of the Supreme Being, who is evolving with us. The Supreme is like a chef making a great salad, who depends on farmers like us to provide the vegetables. The chef is incomplete without the farmers. The Supreme is in charge of the growth of the whole, and we need to do our part, too. The Supreme blesses us by providing the potentials of evolving truth, beauty, and goodness which we actualize as cosmic citizens. And as God is our divine Father, the Supreme is our divine Mother.
One more thing. There is a necessary sequence: vegetables have to be on hand before the salad can be made. In other words, certain things have to be present before other things can be done. Eternal wisdom establishes laws of cosmic sequence. For example, 65:8.6 (740.2) “When physical conditions are ripe, sudden mental evolutions may take place; when mind status is propitious, sudden spiritual transformations may occur; when spiritual values receive proper recognition, then cosmic meanings become discernible, and increasingly the personality is released from the handicaps of time and delivered from the limitations of space.” In other words, our obligation to the Supreme Being is to discern what we need to do next and do it joyfully.
Now, in order to put the principles about the Adjuster and the Supreme Being into practice, Professor Jinwoog has highlighted the following virtues or character qualities. You see these written in ALL CAPS. Please note which qualities you can use in a practical way in your conversations.
- AFFECTION (love).
- Our growth is described as “the never-ending achievement of GODLIKENESS—the experiential blending in the evolutionary experience of eternal truth, universal beauty, and divine goodness.” (44:7.4/507.5)
- CURIOSITY is a great help in growth. One author speaks of “the curiosity-mother of adventure and discovery.” (36:5.9/402.6)
- Adventure and discovery grow through interactive EXPERIENCE. (102:4.2/1123.2)
- Because discoveries of our own shortcomings may challenge us, we need BRAVERY. Said Rodan, “Only a brave person is willing honestly to admit, and fearlessly to face, what a sincere and logical mind discovers.” (160:1.7/1773.4)
- When we discover shortcomings in others, we do well to remember divine and human FORGIVENESS. Justice or love + understanding = forgiveness. 2:4.1/38.1; 6:3.4/75.10
- Finally, we need “moral DETERMINATION and spiritual aspiration to attain the highest universe and superuniverse goals. (100:6.4/1100.6) As cosmic citizens, we also use determination to attain our immediate goals in this workshop.
For the next 10 minutes, you will be paired by Zoom in groups of two . . . to share and support each other as cosmic citizens. When you are in your breakout room, unmute yourselves by clicking on the icon on the lower left of the screen.
For the next 5 minutes, I invite you to use the chat function on Zoom to share your answers to the following question: What difference did awareness of cosmic citizenship make in your conversation?
This document is available on http://UrantiaBookProjects.org at the top of the section, “The Urantia Book movement.” You can write to me at jwattles@kent.edu
For a copy of the .pdf that structured the entire 2-hour workshop, write to kimjinwoog@gmail.com
