Become a Teacher and a Learner: Reflections on "Our Mother God"

Over the past two years, the "Our Mother God” team of five Urantia Book enthusiasts met regularly via zoom with the intention of learning from, and with, one another. During that process, we learned a great deal about the various approaches to understanding and "teaching" our topic. We also learned a great deal about one another’s personal lives, and we naturally formed deep, everlasting connections of understanding and respect.

Over the course of our meetings, I also came to appreciate that teaching and learning is something we all do quite naturally in our daily lives. The Urantia Book lists 178 citations with the word "teach". There are 289 citations with the word "teacher[s],” and, there are 128 references to the word "learn" and 71 to "learning". Perhaps this passage from Paper 30 says it best: "The entire ascendant plan of mortal progression is characterized by the practice of giving out to other beings new truth and experience just as soon as acquired" (30:3.9 (339.6)).

Here's a recent personal example, albeit a very practical one, of this statement in action: I have come to love making sourdough bread, though I am still far from an expert baker. I also currently have a house renovation underway, so every day I prepare a hot, homemade lunch for the several tradespeople and laborers on site. Last week, Jenna, the young woman who is employed as a painter, remarked that she, too, is learning to make sourdough bread. She asked me a few questions about sourdough while also lamenting her failures. Since I was in the midst of feeding my sourdough starter and making a loaf of bread right at that time, I offered her some of my starter to take home and invited her to make bread with me one day. I did so because I love to make bread and am eager to share my experiences and learn from others.

Sometimes we learn and teach best by knowing that we do not know. To wit, there are 42 references to the phrase "we do not know" in the Urantia Book. One must consider the question: if the revelators so freely and almost proudly admit to and embrace their own ignorance, who are we to do otherwise? Knowing that we do not know opens us up to the realms of imagination, possibility, and exploration. An exploration where we become both teacher and learner, sojourning together throughout the universes.

Urantia University Institute fosters a safe, respectful, and stimulating platform for this kind of teaching and learning. Within this Urantian community, we are invited to emulate the higher principles of discussion and debate as portrayed by Urmia on earth and by the higher orders of universe beings. Indeed, what a rare and glorious organization to have in this day and age, and on this planet!