User:Admin/Parental lens

Notes from a 2024 readthrough with an eye toward parental advice.

God the Father: Foreword through Paper 5

• Foreword
  • The opening preface is fairly readable. At the very least, the brilliant opening paragraph could be slowly explained to children over time. "We are not alone in the universe, and it's a confused world out there" can be a basic thesis with children.
• Paper 1
  • A foundational paper in laying out the model parent-child relationship. Worth re-reading regularly, perhaps from end to start, or a section at a time in small bites, because one often reached overload after 15 minutes of reading.
• Paper 2
  • Parental love is inherently selfless.
• Paper 3 - nothing obvious
• Paper 4
  • The section on God and nature helps think through nature worship and why it is tempting but not tenable. Children will be naturally inclined to nature worship so perhaps this section can help formulate instruction. "Nature is not perfect, but God is" and so forth.
  • Caution: section 5 has led many new reader astray on a hasty, self-righteous rejection of any religious traditions they might have been raised with.
• Paper 6 - nothing obvious

Existential Deity: Papers 6-10

• Paper 6
  • The first overt mention of the high pattern of "mother" is here, twice, both in reference to the Eternal Son.
• Paper 7 - nothing obvious
• Paper 8
  • The child-parent relationship is where the grasping of universe realities starts. Then it expands to the family, extended family, community, race, world, universe, superuniverse, and universe of universes.
• Paper 9 - nothing obvious
• Paper 10 - nothing obvious

Central things: Papers 11-15

• Paper 11 - nothing obvious
• Paper 12 - nothing obvious
• Paper 13 - nothing obvious
• Paper 14 - nothing obvious
• Paper 15
  • This is a fun and also challenging paper to read. One of the big top-down papers than spans a huge geography. It's crucial for parents to constantly remind themselves of the scope and scale of the grand universe, so everything that is reveled to children is appropriately framed (in age-appropriate ways, of course).

High persons and their relationships: Papers 16-31

• Paper 16
  • The cosmic intuitions, one of the cornerstone elements to understanding mind and this revelation. "The purpose of education" is to improve a child's connection with them.
• Paper 17 - nothing obvious
• Paper 18 - nothing obvious
• Paper 19 - nothing obvious
• Paper 20 - nothing obvious
• Paper 21
  • The "wellspring" of parental love we have for our children? "No doubt" it's the affection the 3 persons of Deity have for their offspring.
• Paper 22
  • Perhaps trinitization somehow is downstepped to us. Us and our procreating offspring are a shadow cast by this. I'm not sure about that, though, sine trinitization implies a high level of experience, and two dissimilar beings coming into union to produce this offspring.
• Paper 23 - nothing obvious

Local Universe Matters: Papers 32-44

• Paper 33
  • A pattern for the marriage partnership and associated "family organization and government", on high, is presented in this paper. It's up to us to prudently downstep it and practically adapt it to local conditions.
  • Male is "sustained" and "assisted" by female. He is "dependent" on her, his companion.
  • Female is wise and faithful and "indispensable" to proper administration.
  • In the face of sin, male "stabilizes," "upholds," and even "retrieves." Female co-operates and sustains him all the while.
  • In details of management, male and female are codirectors and corulers.
  • Male is ruler, but accords female her co-ordinate position, and equality of authority.
  • Female pledges "fidelity" and "obedience," while acknowledging voluntary "sub-ordination."
  • Their first-born gets "will" from male, and "imagination" from female.
• Paper 34
  • On high, female is independent of space (pervades it all) but it conditioned by time. Male is reciprocal: can act instantaneously in time, but can only be in one spatial place at any time. How might this downstep and mean something to us?
  • Female, once "space conscious," must "never leave" her local universe headquarters world. All mind and ministry in the local universe depends on her never leaving (male can leave, and she sees to it his ministry influence continues in his temporary absence). What might this mean for us, downstepped?
  • Before their "marriage," they "co-operate," but afterward they "collaborate."
  • A "well-ordered society" provides moral assistance. A well-ordered family and home ought to be able to do the same, even in the absence of a well-ordered society.
• Paper 35
  • On high, male and female first see to it that their administration first has the suitable leadership for routine matters. And then they see to it emergencies (Melchizedeks) are dealt with.
  • Consider the Melchizedek sons and what they do... they function akin to the "eldest son of a large family." Whatever that means. This eldest son seems to be a versatile role and able of adapting and deal with emergencies.
  • Perspective: "Primary school" doesn't truly begin until Melchizedek University at the local universe level.
• Paper 36
  • The description of the seven adjutant mind-spirits is certainly helpful in considering child development.
• Paper 37
  • Material sons and daughters, our ideal patterns, are created by a Creator Son ("male" here) alone. But they are created in "dual form," which confirms "his own and original dual origin" (from the Father and the Son).
• Paper 38 - nothing obvious
• Paper 39 - perhaps these orders of seraphim can suggest avenues of ministering guidance to children, but it is not immediately clear.
• Paper 40 - nothing obvious
• Paper 41
  • The Local Universe Mother Spirit (female) is Nebadon. She is the essence of space itself.
• Paper 42 - nothing obvious
• Paper 43 - nothing obvious
• Paper 44
  • The education builders remind us that "always is the way open" to more education. It's important to learn about one's present and future work. Learning about culture is important, for we are called to socialize as citizens.
  • There is a lot in this paper for parents to reflect on with respect to the importance of music and art to life, as well education along these lines.

Local System and Immediate Afterlife:Papers 45-49

• Paper 48
  • The key message the angels on high impart to earthly truth teachers is to preach "The goodness of God, which leads to repentance." Perhaps this is good for parents to impart to their children? Or it may be a more grown-up concept than what children are ready for.
  • The original Psalm 23 would be a fantastic thing to memorize, though its precisely truthful language in the 5th ER is, I must confess, an acquired taste and not the most flowing of poetry for a young mind. Perhaps adapt it.
  • Something very deep and artful is going on with 48:6 and the "Recorder-Teaches."
    • Allow children to experientally acqure the overthrow of error, by the crowding out of it with truth. "When children have their ideals, do not dislodge them; let them grow."
    • What's an example of the artful triumph of truth? "The restatement of parental life in the lives of offspring."
  • The morontia upward climb is a gradual, steady ascent. This is "the best course of training." As above, so below?
• Paper 49
  • Consider teaching a child, from the very beginning, that Jesus has "other sheep not of this fold"--other inhabited planets.
  • They'll pick this up from science fiction, where fantastical ideas abound and are fun. But in reality, not everything is possible. "Not all worlds are suited to harbor mortal life." There is law and order for life, decreed from Salvington.
  • Family life on other mortal worlds is like ours. "The family life is fairly uniform on all types of planets."
  • Male and female humans both get seven adjutant mind-spirits. They are equal "in endowment." But how they use these faculties, how they are attuned, and how they manifest, varies massively.

Planetary Purpose, Administration, and Destiny: Papers 50-56

• Paper 50
  • If children are in some way recapitulating the evolution of the race, consider how time was divided in Dalamatia among: physical labor, social activities, educational application, vocational training, and spiritual culture.
  • Similarly, consider the seven developmental epochs as they apply to any one life and one child: nutrition, security, material comfort, quest for knowledge and wisdom, philosophy and brotherhood, spiritual striving, light and life.
  • "Culture presupposes quality of mind."
• Paper 51
  • Our ideal male and female pair, Adam and Eve, are "equal to each other," yet also differential and complemental.
  • The ideal race, the violet, is monogamous. Period. They model this, and their offspring learn this and take it to the non-violet races when the races begin to intermingle.
  • If the Garden of Eden were still here, it would offer to the world an example of "a superb cultural center" and "the social pattern of planetary conduct." Since we don't have this, we have to compensate for this ourselves (some part of us seems designed to look for this).
  • "The schools of the Planetary Prince are primarily concerned with philosophy, religion, morals, and the higher intellectual and artistic achievements. The garden schools of Adam and Eve are usually devoted to practical arts, fundamental intellectual training, social culture, economic development, trade relations, physical efficiency, and civil government."
• Paper 52
  • The Planetary Prince's epoch is where family life first emerges. Before then, it was entirely tribal. The home appears early on the scene; to lose the family concept is to revert to a stage before the Planetary Prince.
  • The "golden age" of family life dawns this early in a world's usual history.
  • There are "ideals of home life." They can be partially realized without sex equality, but can be more "fully realized" after full equality of the sexes is "established."
  • Full equality of the sexes is usually part of the Planetary Prince's reign (post-Planetary Prince Man). It comes early.
  • The family idea requires settlements and soil cutivation. Roving bands of hunters cannot realize family ideals.
  • Normally, family life is in tip-top shape before much of any mechanical invention! Before the "urban and industrial adjuncts" to civilization (they're only adjuncts! not central). Not so on our world. We have gotten iPhones in our kids' pockets before we've agreed upon this whole family thing, and the iPhones seem to consequently be destabiliing our family life.
  • A reference to the "home arts" is here, as well as in Jesus' childhood describing Jewish social culture. It would be good to enumerate the home arts.
• Paper 53
  • Lucfier's emissaries tried to corrupt the mind of infants, who have no defense against sophistry. They are wholly reliant upon others for their formative ideas of the universe. This was "to their everlasting dishonor," one of the stronger turns of phrase in the entire Urantia Book.
• Paper 54
  • There is a lot in here to reflect on about how to teach about false liberty to children who are naturally impatient, and could be seduced by worldly sophistries of "now now now!" The yardstick of measurement in their lives is short indeed.
  • Children should bear with a brother so long as the parents are allowing things to play out so the erring child can see the error of their ways. At least, this is the pattern on high of mercy, wisdom, and love; how it gets practically downstepped should be thoughtfully considered.
• Paper 55
  • Children in a family ideally should not be too far apart in age, so they can help each other through the childhood experience. Even on a world where humans live to 500 years, child-bearing years are limited.
• Paper 56
  • Children need to understand they ultimately have only one Father. They would not understand this until they are older, though. The biological father is just the last in a long link of the hierarchy of fathers, but there is only one father: "it is literally impossible for any child to have more than one father."

Getting Michael to Earth: Papers 120-122

• Paper 120
  • Jesus was instructed to live a family life as it is lived in the day and age, and among the people he incarnated among. No revolution. Of course, remember this was one of the best family and child environments our world has ever known, so there's hardly aa reason to stand apart from the prevailing culture.
  • Michael and Immanuel are brothers, virtual equals. They both show respect for each other, but very notably Michael, in the prebestowal charge and the huge ceremony associated with it, adopts an quiet, listening attitude. Of couse he already knows all the things Immanuel is telling him, but these things must be said.
• Paper 121
  • Woman had more social liberation among the gentiles than she had among the Jews, yet the midwayers point out the Jews had "family devotion and natural affection" that was not just higher than gentiles, but actually "transcendent!"
  • Notice the Gospel by Mark. This is John Mark, the brave lad who followed Jesus and the 12 apostles around many places while being only 12 years old. His parents let him do this because they didn't smother him with too much clingy love. Anyway, notice how this kid is the motivating forces behind the first Gospel account, which set the tone for all the others. Without a proper start in life at home, this could have hardly been possible.
• Paper 122
  • A hint about the strength of the marriage of the parents of John the Baptist--he trusted his wife, although she had a some lack of trust in not telling her husband about Gabriel's visit for a full 5 months.
  • Meanwhile, Mary told her husband much sooner, and they pondered the situation together as a married couple much more quickly than John's parents.
  • As a child, John the Baptist's "heart" was responsive to the seeds his parents offered to it. And he was "tremendously impressed" by what he saw at the temple (probably seeing people's loyalties exhibited here)
  • Jesus inherited two distinctly different temperaments from his two earthly parents. But as he matured one inclination overtook the other, so he was not divided against himself temperamentally on the whole.
  • Jesus' father impressed upon him practically outer life things that served him well (though still all religiously inclined matters), while his mother more directly help shape inner-life issues of religious and spiritual freedom.
  • Mary was skilled in "most of the household arts." By mentioning this, the midwayers confirm there are such things as household arts, and implicitly uphold them as an important part of family home life.
  • Notice how, in Mary's family, political leanings seemed to have passed down the generations and may have biased her in certain ways with respect to seeing her son's mission on Earth objectively.
  • Joseph and Mary discussed many topics with one another, including politics and culture. They seemed to be a close couple who helped each other through life a lot; this was not a dead or dull marriage.

Jesus of Nazareth: Papers 123-129

• Paper 123
  • Mary's natural instincts and spiritual idealism had to be tempered by her husband.
  • The "specialness" of her infant inclined her to overprotect him. It took the outside perspective of a husband and kinsfolk to help her overrule this.
  • Mary wanted to raise Jesus in Bethlehem, the better to take David's throne as she supposed he was destined to do. It took the practical advice of her husband, and three weeks of patience on his part, to convince her better to be safe in Galilee than dead in Judea.
  • Generalized guidance here: over-loving and sheltering a child will incline them to be self-centered. Association with others is inevitable, so start early.
  • When they return to Nazareth, it is Mary who "settles down" into their home. The female is the keeper of the homefires. And home life education always remains the province of the mother.
  • It was a "well-ordered" household.
  • Mary was strict with house rules. Joseph balanced this by reasonably explaining why the rules and discipline were needed for the good of the whole family. Jesus agreed (he was only 6 or 7 or so and had no problem agreeing with all this, once it was explained)
  • Jesus was given ample opportunities to "help his mother" with home duties, and "watch" his father at work. He would have been too young to help his father at this point with craftwork like making yokes, but housework was very within his reach. He was allowed to be of "great help" in caring for younger siblings.
  • The home arts of those days were extensive, and very rewarding for an 8-year-old. Cloth making, milking, cheese making. All lost home arts today.
    • How might they be equivalently compensated for today?
  • Jesus' parents took "great pains" to always answer his many questions from age 5 to 10. Even if they didn't know the answer, they'd discuss it thoroughly. This was the most valuable part of his early education, more than school.
  • Jesus' cosmic intuitions were engaged with botany by day, astronomy by night. All pretty much self-motivated it seems.
  • Child development at home involves a lot of physical play with objects: block and sand. And let them play! Let boys be boyish.
  • Listening to stories from the corners of the Earth, told by the caravans, certainly seems stimulating to a young mind. He was fortunate to get to hear these at his father's "repair shop," as well as lingering around the town spring.
  • Jews had 7 stages of a child's life. It's intriguing how formal some of the ceremonies were as a child moved from one stage to another. Other than providing cultural cohesion and stability, is there some deeper benefit? Could a 5-year-old be aware of the solemnity of a ceremony?
  • The major holidays of these people were very much holy days. All designed to have a symbolism at least accessible to a young child mind, even if they cannot fully comprehend the meaning.
    • We have Easter, Christmas and perhaps some others. But they've become secularized and even (Easter) paganized.
  • With increasing income, it all went to making the family larger, and on education and travel (to presumably benefit the children). Everything was about the family.
  • The family had a special charity fund (not just tithing) and the eldest child was allowed to administer it from a young age. That's a level of discretion and responsibility fairly alien to today's world, I'd say.
  • Reading aloud and constant repetition were key learning techniques in elementary school.
  • The midwayers refer to Jesus' real education being mingling closely with others. That adjective real seems to put it on a special plane relative to both (a) moral and spiritual training, and (b) intellectual and theological education.
  • When entering second grade, an intriguing idea: pupils selecting a "birthday text", a scripture passage, that they use as a golden rule for the next 6 or 7 years, and then give a report on it after graduating from (roughly today) middle school.
  • Walks in nature, especially "jaunts" to prominent elevations, gave Jesus a perspective on the scale of the world.
• Paper 124
  • Nazareth's educational environment was a "minimum of educational guidance," a curious phrase in the opening paragraph. They suggest the 9-year-old Jesus was better prepared for life by working things out himself instead of being overly guided.
  • Drawing landscapes and modeled with clay seem like fine activities. Just don't make them idolatrous. Is hanging all a child's drawings on the refrigerator leaning that way?
  • Jesus' ninth year is when he got his own tools and workbench.
  • Observing the properties and phases of water is an excellent thing for a child. Particularly because of its rather deep, philosophical properties.
  • By age 13 Jesus had extensive vocational knowledge (except metalworking).
  • Around age 9 he was the child leader of a self-organized boy-scout sort of organization: the physical, intellectual, and spiritual necessities of manhood being their goal.
  • Sometimes it's OK to just listen to a child, to let them talk things out. A parent does not have to provide commentary back, especially if the child's thoughts are a bit precocious and out ahead of themself.
  • Travels away from home around age 10 gave Jesus valuable perspective on his family. Lots of time out in nature with his uncle meant a lot to him.
  • Around age 11 Jesus seemed prepared to hear most about historical events, as recounted to him by his father.
  • Parents should not develop too many "fond expectations" for what their children may do as grown-ups. They must be individuals, hopefully following God's will (not an earthly parent's own will)
  • Religious forms in a family or an individual should be allowed to be modified, to grow and be living. In this sense, any institutionalized religious oversight should be "liberal" in allowing these modifications.
  • A family must "harmoniously blend" personal convictions and family obligations.
  • At age 13, the history taught to Jesus by his parents was socio-religious history of their people.
• Paper 125
  • They distinguish "later childhood" from "early youth" (and in Paper 126, "childhood to young manhood"; in paper 127 again "childhood to manhood," where the start of manhood is adolescence)
  • There comes an age when a child (or early youth) will flourish by having some independent time to themselves, away from home. The parents may be anxious during this separation, but they should not convey that to the youth. Better yet: they should trust and abandon anxiety.
• Paper 126
  • Jesus' childhood education taught him a lot about his people, their history and traditions. In concept this seems helpful and enriching to a child's intellectual life and even spiritual development. Observe how Jesus sat on a high hill and meditated on these things as a teen.
  • As head of his household, Jesus devoted his time and energies less and less to recreation and social aspects of life, and focused on (1) care of his family, and (2) doing God's will on earth. We aren't Jesus, of course, but there may be a lesson about priorities in here.
  • How Jesus ran a household's business and finances: liberal but frugal; saving but generous.
  • They had a family altar in the home of some kind (does Edersheim specify more about this?)
  • Give children memorized prayer forms they can always "fall back to," but suggest to them lines of prayer to encourage them to form their own individual prayers.
  • Jesus' first synagogue sermon at age 15 [126:4] is fantastic Old Testament material. It might appeal to teen minds, since it was formulated by a teenage mind.
  • As a parent, are you a "disappointed idealist," because your "plans for a career were thwarted" by life circumstances? Take comfort. Jesus knows what you're going through; he went through it, too.
  • Strongly suggested that "idle meditation" and "mystic tendencies" are common pitfalls of the adolescent experience. Keeping the adolescent busy enough to not succumb to these temptations seems important. I think I can relate to these pitfalls.
  • They describe the threshold of adolescence into manhood being the end of the growth of body and mind, not something one mind expect to read regarding mind. Again in Paper 127 described as "the fullness of capacity for such intellectual development," but still lacking in experience that fills out that capacity.
• Paper 127
  • Age 15 to 20 might be being suggested as the true "adolescent years." Yes, to 20. This writer can vouch for this; maybe adolescence extends to 25 in our times.
  • "Money cannot love," declared Jesus, and most of the Jewish people strongly agreed. The culture of those times respspected the need for strong homes.
  • Jesus withheld from engaging in things in Jerusalem he judged as "puerile and insignificant," favoring instead to be patient and await the proper time to do God's work. Children are often impatient, so this stands as a model of forbearance.
  • A young men's club for philosophic discussion was arranged by the community's religious leader. It's not stated whether they met along or if the chazan also attended and guided them somehow. But it's a fine idea, even though our times today are probably not so philosophically inclined.
  • Jesus counseled his mother "sorrow will not help us," and that a smile from the family's mother might inspire the family to do better.
  • A suitable optimism and courage "contributed mightily" to develop of strong and noble characters among the children of Jesus' family.
  • Jesus' was exclusively positive in his exhortations in raising the children of his earth family. They insist he never employed the negative "do not do this" mode of teaching.
  • Prayer time in Jesus' family appears to perhaps have been not just silent prayer: they discussed all matters related to the welfare of the family. (it's possible they did this silently with God, however)
  • Here's that famous paragraph about "wise discipline" at an early age usually leading to little needed punishment later in their childhood (except for Jude and his temperament)
  • The children consulted and confided in Jesus' in his role as father of this family, "particularly the girls." This author remembers doing this less than more in his childhood, but finds himself wishing he could have done this more.
  • Jesus is quoted as saying "loyalty to one's own flesh and blood" is "the most sacred of all human trusts."
  • [127:6.12] beautifully sketches Jesus' emerging character, and it seems like a reasonable ideal for all human children to aim toward as they mature. This is a marvelous paragraph, set of by itself by large paragraph gaps.
  • A child "accumulates a vast body of knowledge." A youth sorts, classifies, and correlates this information. An adolescent organizes these acquisitions preparatory to the endeavors of full adulthood.
• Paper 128
  • As a parent, Jesus showed no "partiality" to those children he was raising.
  • Children need help from their parents in "adjusting themselves" as their intellectual and emotional lives "awaken." Particularly the "problems" of adolescence.
  • Jesus held periodic family "conferences," which sound a bit more consequential than meetings. He would "solmnenly" and "formally" perform certain notable ceremonies at these times. Once he even drew up and signed a written contract. The formal ritual of these events seemed to be perfectly natural to the Jewish people; this writer admits the kid in his childhood family probably would have ironically snickered unless they were accustomed to them from a young age AND they were performed in an authentic, selfless manner.
  • Part of Jesus' tact with his family was not fully disclosing his reasons for things, so they'd develop independence. For example, he used the weather as an excuse for not walking home from Sepphoris every day, but his real goal was for them to be weaned off of depending on him.
  • Jesus had "heart-to-heart" talks with the children he was raising. I'd imagine he was patient, understanding, but also earnest and authentic so it didn't come across as forced or awkward.
  • Jesus refused a sum of money that was something of a bribe or perhaps "alms." His excuse was that his family doesn't take handouts so long as they can labor and earn money.
  • Jesus handled adolescent Jude's arrest quite well: he didn't tell the family, waited for three weeks, reflectively talked it over with Jude, and then Jude told the family. Jesus was highly patient and "forebearing" as a parent in this episode.
  • Jesus always sat aside his contemplation about the kingdom in deference to telling stories and being very present with the young children of his family.
  • He told stories of nature, of animals, and of travels to Jerusalem (a far away land to these young minds)
  • Jesus was exceptionally practical in matters of money with his family. He planned thoughtfully, and adjusted as often as needed.
• Paper 129
  • Jesus got along well with young people by being interested in what they were doing, while "seldom offering advice unless they asked for it."

Jesus the Tutor: Papers 130, 132, 133

• Paper 130
  • The story of Jonah is a classic one to teach kids, for sure. But don't expect them to get much from it at a young age--you have to live for awhile to relate to it. Still, having it at the ready in their minds at a later age will serve them well. Perhaps when they're older it can be a case in point about the truths of a story/myth that are more important than the facts in it and whether or not they literally happened.
  • Jesus stimulated his student's mind by answering his many questions, including scientific ones.
  • The way Jesus inspired young men through metaphors is noteworthy. The lighthouse to Ganid, the "happiness highways" and such to the young man who was afriad.
  • Young men who lack direction need to be confidently told to arise, stand up straight, use their minds, and "hasten off to where great things are waiting to be done." This is the message that many motivational speakers today deliver, but Jesus improved on these messages by framing it all as service under God.
  • I really like Jesus' advice on friendship: do something for someone you are sure they want done. Wait for as log as it takes for this opportunity.
• Paper 132
  • Jesus wanted to learn about other men, and while doing so among them to say or do something to make their life more enriching and worth while. This seems like a high ethic that can be taught to even a second grader.
• Paper 133
  • Jesus' approach to breaking up two brawling boys is a tale worth telling. Try to explain mercy and justice through a simple schoolyard vignette.
  • Generally, we see Jesus trying nascent forms of concepts, images, metaphors which flowered fully in his public ministry. Adolescence and young adulthood can be times for such things even for us normal folk. Notice in 133:2 an early version of the Good Samaritan story told to a man mistreating his wife.
  • Jesus explains the role of a husband toward a wife, and the high destiny of children, in a moving passage here. Something for a husband and wife to read together as an affirmation.
  • There are no mundane, secular moments with Jesus. Even as he works with Justus to get new jobs for the two public women, he mentions "the angels of heaven" and "the Most High" in the discussion. Remember around children to talk about God and high things all the time.
  • Note how Jesus explains (to the Britain) that every "honest attempt" to communicate with God within meets with success. It's just usually superconscious. Teach children about the superconscious from a young age, so they do not become discouraged praying (also explain prayer is not for material outcomes)
  • Teach children the can know the existence of their soul by their own real experience. They must not look to science or spiritual tests to confirm for them it exists. Knowing they have a soul is the personal proof of its existence.
  • Notice how, by the end of their time together, Ganid was able to make "practical use" of Jesus' teachings. Living the teachings.
  • "Get wisdom" said the Hebrew wise man.

Jesus Goes Public: Papers 135-138 and 140-145

• Paper 135
  • Jesus and John the Baptist both demonstrate how important it is to be patient. As young men, surely their animal-origin, Andite-blooded selves burned with the desire to do great things in the world. But timing is everything. God's will unfolds on its timetable, not ours.
• Paper 136 - nothing obvious
• Paper 137 - nothing obvious
• Paper 138
  • It's written often, but here it's experientially validated by the first 6 apostles over 2 weeks: religion is "purely and wholly" a matter of personal experience.
  • Friendship-loyalty is "the supreme sentiment." Teach children to be loyal to their friends.
• Paper 140
  • Candidate for a keystone paper. All the essentials of the gospel, and the initial FAQ about it are in here, along with the concept of fatherly love and a clarifying contextualization of the sermon on the mount.
  • Regarding ambassadors of the kingdom in an day and age, Jesus makes it clear that your actions speak louder than words when it comes to evidence you have learned "the realities of the kingdom." Loyalties more than precept and even example.
  • Similarly, the apostles learned from simply living with Jesus, since he embodied truth. This let them learn things that were beyond their capacity for verbal instruction.
  • Manifesting fatherly love should be possible if one is as selfless as the first four beatitudes: humble, pursue righteousness, do the Father's will meekly, pure in their heart. Only a "mature" mind can grasp the first two.
  • Love of a child is not about "pampering" or being permissive when witnessing evil.
  • Have faith in your children, which bolsters their faith.
  • "Anticynical" as a quality of fatherly love is the only place in TUB where the anti- prefix is used in this sense of ideological opposition (except the Hellennes' "antipreistcraft"). Seems important to note.
  • A true parent always "looks for the best" in the child.
  • Ensure the natural trusting a child possesses is never lost. They describe this innate trust as a "simple faith."
  • Avoid suggestions to children that arouse suspicion (this would tend to erode their natural trusting-ness)
  • Never deceive children.
  • Help children "choose their heroes"--screening which stories they hear seems like one key way to do this. The choose verb is a consequential one, suggesting hero choice can stay with us throughout eternity.
  • Help children select "their lifework." Note this is "select" and not "choose," a more temporal issue.An admonishment
  • The midwayers' exegesis on the beatitudes speaks often about children. It's worth studying repeatedly, in detail.
• Paper 141
  • Hurt feelings are explained to evolve into "petty resentment" by way of indulgence. This may be unavoidable, even in ** Overt statement about wise parents from Jesus: don't take sides in your childrens' petty quarrels.
  • There's that "petty" word again. As a parent, avoid descending to the level of pettiness. It is childish.
• Paper 142
  • A father loves not only each individual member of his family, but also the family itself as a whole.
  • Jesus uses words like chastise, punish, and discipline in describing certain parental functions toward "very young and immature" children.
  • Jesus also describes a farseeing parent serving discipline, guidance, correction, and "sometimes" restraint of the "young and immature."
  • The lesson on the family is here. Seems valuable to check in periodically using its "seven facts" as a reflective aid.
• Paper 143
  • More strong parental language from Jesus: restraining discipline for the acts of unwise offspring.
  • Jesus himself speaks here about the devil being given more credit than he is due, as compared to our own innate natural tendencies. This is something that seems teachable in an age-appropriate way, since children can relate to the animal nature being not so far from it themselves.
• Paper 144 - nothing obvious
• Paper 145
  • Another reference to parents loving both the entire family as well as each individual. The whole and the parts.
  • Jesus says the hope of a nation depends on the "progress and enlightenment" of the individual. Teach your children well.

Sidebars and Epilogue: Papers 131, 134, 139, 160, 161, 170, 196

• Paper 131
  • This is a tough paper to digest and know what to do with. It's full of remarkable materials, and it's also amazing how similar the religions are in their understanding of truth.
  • A favorite section to this author is the Hinduism section, which surprises me but I accept. Perhaps there are select quotes in there that can be part of the spiritual economy of the home.
  • The final 4 paragraph's of Ganid's "Our Religion" section is a testimonial that seems to speaking very much like an adolescent mind. It is sweet, unassuming, and testimonial like.
• Paper 134
  • Jesus continued to hold family conferences to make big, formal decisions about how his nuclear family of origin was run. He was into his 30's by this point. But of course, he was not just a son, but also the role of a father and overall male support to the family.
• Paper 139
  • Brothers can get along and avoid jealousy, in concept. Though temperament can get in the way. Consider Andrew (and "Andrew's type") and Simon Peter.
  • John Zebedee was perhaps a bit spoiled and "humored too much," leading to conceit. He outgrew some of this as he aged, however.
  • Direct suggestion to use Philip's "Come with me and see" approach with kids, instead of the "Go do this and that" approach.
  • Judas's defects in adulthood strike this writer as a so-called "personality disorder." Not understanding himself, not dealing with himself sincerely, etc. The revelators make it clear the "pampering and petting" of his childhood was the source of much of this. May we do right by our children!