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Introduction to Eric
First, let me tell you about Eric. The team that developed the Adventures in Spiritual Living program to foster spiritual experience often felt assisted by unseen spiritual friends in discovering what activities would work. Eric represents those unseen friends. On a few occasions, he has written us letters of encouragement and advice which are of value for anyone who sets out on the quest to personally experience spiritual reality. Eric is, above all, interested in pursuing thrilling spiritual adventures. Our image of him is as a young captain of a Viking long boat. He is happy, enthusiastic, optimistic and joyous. He is absolutely certain that we are all beloved children of God and consequently he is totally fearless in pursuing truth. When he talks about the great adventure, he means the adventure of pursuing truth wherever the spirit leads him. Eric defines truth as the powerful attraction of participating in loving relations with spiritual sisters and brothers. His truth can’t be merely known as fact. It has to be lived as an experience of love in your soul. Well, that is enough about Eric for you to understand why we look forward to his infrequent letters and why we share them. This first letter from Eric came in late 1989.
Dearest Fellow Adventurers:
Our Father invites us into an endlessly thrilling adventure of living spiritually in his very presence. And he does not delay the advent or the intensity of the experience one moment longer then we require. Let us not delay!
The only barrier to our adventure is our own fear. Fear of the spiritual unknown. Fear that we will make fools of ourselves. Fear that we might lose control of our lives. But there is no cause for fear. Spiritually we are indestructible. Both our Father and our brother Jesus guarantee our spiritual safety and indestructability and our personal sovereignty. They have designed their domains so that we in our immature judgment can do no lasting damage either to ourselves or to our universe. The only real danger to ourselves lies in not pursuing the spiritual adventure — because it leads to eternal growth in spirit and nothing else does. The entire grand universe is designed so that we can do no harm by leading a sincere, boisterous, youthful, exuberant and joyful life. No, there is no reason to fear.
The loyal and courageous child of God, living in God’s immediate presence is free to go absolutely anywhere the spirit leads him in pursuit of the work of our deity parents. That work can be as calm as a mother’s soothing lullaby to her young child or as adventurously exciting as the Viking captain lashed to the prow of his ship while peering into the crashing sea for new reality to explore. As his ship runs full sail in a tempest, he has no fear because he knows he is immortal and this sets him free for the total adventure. No need for restraint.
We are like that. We are immortal, and we are invited to a thrilling adventure. Our personal, inner relationship with God prepares us for both the breathtaking, spine-tingling excitement and the unprecedented intimacy and personal tenderness of this adventure.
When you are ready and when you want it, the adventure of spiritual living is your birthright as a child of God. And the first step to the tenderness and to the robustness is the step within. So step within the higher reaches of your mind. Open the doors and unshutter the windows. You have nothing to fear. You are here to experience love, mercy, and service. You are not here to hide out and protect yourself in this life. You are here to gather the experience of loving and being loved and of being transformed spiritually by love. You are a beloved and immortal child of God, right now. Open and let the light shine into the once dim rooms of your spiritual abode. Open and invite our Father to show you the way home to him.
With astonishing love for you, I am Off.
Eric
