2003-02-14-Eulogy on Eros

Session

Opening

Prayer by Michael (Bill): I am Michael. My children, let us pray.

Let down the barriers to the flood tide of love which desires to enter your lives. Your trust in God will be infinitely deepened when you feel this love in a spiritual context. Know that the Father of all is perfect. His love has no loop holes, no special preferences, no conditions. It is yours, and it is even mine. Therefore, open your hearts tonight and receive a deeper baptism of love. I am with you. I am not your teacher this evening. One moment.

Daniel (Bob S): I am Daniel, your teacher, your guide, your friend, your constant admirer for I do applaud your efforts to learn, to grow, to become that person God has created in its fullness. Our plan for this evening, after my brief introduction, is to have a lesson by one who has not been with us often. Hence, you will, we trust, enjoy the point of view from the mind of one who is not one of your regular teachers. So with those words of welcome, I now pause to allow our speaker to come to the microphone. One moment, please.

Lesson

Romance, Love

Athena (Bill): Greetings, my children, my friends, I am Athena, a Social Architect. I am not the Goddess of Athens...(Laughter.)...but I represent the female point of view. On this day of your celebration of romantic love I suppose my presence is appropriate. Tonight I am not going to eulogize over Eros, which is the usual interpretation of Cupid's arrows, except to say that the normal human attraction of men for women and women for men is not to be despised, or, on the other hand, to be overly glorified. In terms of mortal progression the basis of that attraction is biological, coming from your animal heritage, but it is infused with your spiritual natures which transforms it into a higher level than animal attraction. Eros is essential for the continuity of the human race. Happy are those men and women who's love is greater than erotic attraction for then they can retain their union as Eros wanes with age and situations. It is necessary and important for a marriage to mature, for romance to be refreshed, for each of us desires the full appreciation of another person. In the bonds of marriage that other person can be the most satisfying combination of friend, lover, supporter, generous critic, and peace-maker. And so on Valentines Day we do recognize the value of Eros, of that special attraction between a man and a woman. But there is more; for as your progress in your universe careers you will grow beyond Eros. On the Mansion Worlds people are not paired up according to marriage bonds, despite some religion's teaching to the contrary. The finest display of true love in the marriage bonds is probably your highest understanding of love on this planet, for it does address multi-levels of human existence.

Nevertheless, even the finest bonds of love in the earthly sphere do not compare to the expanded love experiences of advancing Morontia beings, and, even more so, to the exquisite bonds of love among Spirit beings. You have an indication of what I am talking about in the embrace of love making where the union of the two personalities can approach a fusion understanding. But the fusion of beings on the Morontial levels is even greater! While it is not a sexual, biological union, it is an intermeshing of soul which is profoundly satisfying.

You say, "Why do you tell us this when we are still creatures of the flesh"? Because, my friends, the life that you are now living is just your infancy, and like all infants you should be eager to grow and experience the joys of childhood and the maturity of adult-hood. You realize intellectually that to be brothers and sisters with all people on this planet is a fine ideal. It is truly a fact, and yet is so difficult to attain. This process of achieving brotherhood and sisterhood is the same thing as experiencing love which embraces another without judgment, without respect of persons, without the contingency that you will only love those whom you happen to like. And so for all of you who struggle to love people other than those that you choose as mates or whom you are wedded to by virtue of your family origins, there is, therefore, encouragement to be had in my words. I tell you that what cannot fully or even partially in time be achieved in this life, in terms of experiencing that kind of love for your other brothers and sisters, you will eventually achieve in the Mansion World career; or even beyond that, for eventually you will have those same intense feelings of communion, not just with mortal creatures who come from a planet like yours and who may look similar to you, but you will, indeed, become brothers and sisters to all sorts of beings who are all creations of the God of Intelligence, the Trinity of Paradise.

Duality, Fusion

Therefore, as you think about Valentine's Day in a much higher sense than just the bottom line of Eros, this is an important holiday because it betokens the beginning of your experience of brotherhood/sisterhood, the attempt to treat other people as if you love them whether or not you feel very loving in your emotional makeup. Remember that love is not primarily an emotion. Love is an intention. Love is a wish. Love is a prayer. Love is the willingness to join with another person and let down the barriers that would separate you, that would keep you apart, to unite with them and blend with them.

Your Urantia Book tells you that the Universe of Nebadon, and all the universes of time-space creations, are dualistic-are created in two-ness. They are the joint creation of a Michael Creator Son, and a Creative Spirit daughter of the Third Source and Center. Therefore, you experience this tension, this desire for the two to become one. In the Central Universe, and particularly on Paradise there is a sense of three-ness to become one, because the Central Universe and Paradise are the creation of the Trinity, whereas the Superuniverses are the creation of Duality.

I have been advised that I need to remain on the microphone stand so that you can interact with me and ask the questions that I sense are in your minds; so I will conclude my words with this admonition: My friends, enjoy Valentines Day! Treasure your close relationships! Don't dishonor Eros by debasing it. It is more than just animal instinct. It is a mixture of that plus the duality of the Universe of Nebadon– the desire of two to become one. But as you honor that, think of the bigger picture, that you shall indeed become one with many individuals, spiritually, morontially, and ultimately every part and every being of this Grand Universe shall become one with the Supreme when God the Supreme fully emerges as the Supreme Being. This is the highest level of love experienceable in a finite universe. Now questions, or comments, please.

Dialogue

Virginia: Athena, I am not sure I understand, and maybe I should just look it up in the Book, but I am not sure that I understand the point that you were trying to make with duality and trinity in the sense that we are dual now, male and female, and then in the Central Universe the emphasis is upon three? I am not sure that I understood the point of that.

Athena (Bill): Thank you for asking that question because there really wasn't a point in illustrating the three-ness of the Central Universe in itself. It was merely a contrast to the duality experience which is your experience and my experience at this time. When we reach the Central Universe and Paradise we become more and more aware of the Supreme Being in incompletion, and then we are approaching a more triune relationship. With ourselves, with our Indwelling Spirit, that's the duality that shall fuse. When we are in Paradise we will eventually then fuse with the rest of the Supreme; and then we will have a triune experience. We will be ourselves, beginning with mortal status, fusing with our Thought Adjusters, and then fusing,, with all other parts of the Supreme when God the Supreme is fully manifest in the Supreme Being. Do you understand what I am saying?

Virginia: Yes, I do now. Yes.

Athena (Bill): It was more of an aside; but since you have asked me to explain it, it will give us more substance here. My point is that this urge, this erotic thing, which is your first experience, is not just the biology of male and female, your primate genetic background, but is a reflection of and a participation in the duality, the male- and female-ness of duality as you might think of it, in the Grand Universe. Even the angels have this duality of passive and aggressive, or receptive and assertive, however you want to say it. Have I explained that to you satisfactorily?

Virginia: I think you have, Athena, yes.

Athena (Bill): And my other point was that, in your celebration of Valentine's Day, honor that close relationship, which can most likely occur in marriage, although certainly it is not guaranteed. It is an ideal. (Pause.)

I might point out that in all human experiences you start on the biological level, and so sexual attraction is initially a biological fact. Mothers especially love their children because it is in their biology to care for them. It is part of their mammal instincts. It is biologically natural to like people who are similar to you; who are the same race; who are of similar backgrounds, and so forth. This is the bottom line. This is the biological level.

But in the human experience of a mortal life this biological level can be united with the spiritual indwelling of your Thought Adjuster so that the morontial level, the level of soul, can actually occur during mortal life. As you blend your spirit nature more completely with your animal nature you achieve soul growth, so that your love of your mate becomes much more than simple biology. It becomes this deep and intimate friendship. Likewise with your friends, you can expand your perimeters beyond just those who look like you and have the same education and culture to embrace others who you can truly become friends with when you unite your higher level, your humanness, with your animal nature. And with your children, instead of caring for them only as biological creatures you can begin to treat them, and see them as, individuals with their own dignity; not just as your sons and daughters but also as your brothers and sisters, worthy of your respect and not your property to control or direct. Has this clarified at all for some of you? Do you have any comments or questions? (Pause.) Does your silence mean I have been too obtuse? (Laughter.) Please ask me if you need to.

LaReen: No, I understood. I think it is an appropriate lesson for today.

Athena (Bill): Thank you, Lareen, my dear. Very well, I will return the microphone to your head teacher, Daniel, who is by the way, a very good friend of mine for we have been associated for quite a while, off and on. One moment.

Daniel (Bill): Very well, my friends, this is Daniel, and I hope that you have enjoyed the words of our friend with the most enticing name of Athena. If I had brought Cupid I think that you might have decided that either I had lost it, or your TR was totally non-credible. (Laughter.) Actually Cupid wouldn't come! (More laughter, and comments from students.)

Closing

Let us stand and join hands to conclude our meeting. Klarixiska desires to have the final honors. She requests a female TR.

Klarixiska (Virginia): Christ Michael, Nebadonia, First Source and Center, Eternal Son, Infinite Spirit,: we thank You for the model of love that You repeat over and over again in the hearts of each of us, Your children. We thank You that as you portrayed Your love on Urantia You have become the One Who has evolved in Sovereignty.. We are thankful that You have not been a God, a Leader that would spiral downward, but rather the example You give to us is the ever spiraling tower that reaches to You. Help us, each one, the seen and the unseen, to choose to love. We know, that as Athena said tonight, love is not a feeling; Love is a choice. We ask that the Spirit within us direct us to those times when we can love spontaneously: the smile, the prayer, the small word of encouragement, that will cause our brothers and sisters to be lifted up. Help us to love as You love us. Amen.