Markos Silvan Vieira (photo) is a member of the Spiritist Foundation Maria de Nazaré (FEMARIA) in Teresina, capital of the Brazilian state of Piauí. He is the current director of the study groups. The organisation is sponsored by and closely associated with the state’s Medical Spiritist Association. Markos graduated in Public Administration, Geography and Geoprocessing and has MBAs in Public Accountancy and Marketing and Communications. He works as a civil servant at the Teresina City Council.

How did you become a Spiritist?

From a very young age I was encouraged to read a lot, which has always been a source of pleasure for me. I read everything that I could get hold of and I was always asking probing questions about all sorts of issues. I spent the final years of my childhood and also my teenage years looking for answers to questions about the meaning of life. Until one day I came across the magnificent book “Heaven and Hell,” by Allan Kardec, which became a watershed in my life. It was the first Spiritist book I read and it marked the beginning of everything. Or was it a new beginning? One day I’ll find out. 

Which aspect of the Spiritist Teachings strike you the most?

It’s its clarity and rationality combined with its sensitivity. It provides us with the tools to carry out the moral transformation that human beings need through a new approach to the Gospel of Jesus, with the works of Kardec and other important works that have been published since. It also highlights the importance of helping others and of doing moral and material charity. As Emmanuel wrote, Jesus is the door and Kardec is the key. 

And how did you begin your work with the Medical Spiritist Association of Piauí (AME-PI)? 

I joined a Spiritist Centre for the first time in 2003, even though I had begun reading extensively about Spiritism many years before that. For many years I worked as volunteer at the André Luiz Spiritist Fraternity, but I eventually moved to another area of Teresina and in 2018, after remarrying, I joined FEMARIA, which is kept by AME-PI, an organisation that focuses more on the scientific and theoretical aspects of Spiritism. The Association studies the interaction between body and mind, Spirit and matter, counselling and Spiritual comforting, as well as the moral and material sides that are essential for the development of all human beings. 

What was the main lesson that the world has learned from the coronavirus pandemic?

I believe that it was to remind us that we live in society and must work together for the common good. The interests of the community must be above those of selfish individuals, as it’s stated in the Law: “In this world you will have trouble,” told us Our Master Jesus. “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Both in John 16:33) This has been a time for contemplation, for the development of self-knowledge and most of all, for extensive reflection on the true meaning of our lives. 

What’s your most remarkable memory from all these years working as a volunteer in the Spiritist Movement?

It’s something that happened once, at a time of huge worries in my life. I was walking on the street when an unknown man, of a humble appearance, came to me, with a tool box at the back of his bicycle, and told me out of the blue: “Why are you so worried? Everything has already been sorted out. Open the gate, get into your house and your problem won’t be there anymore.” And that’s exactly what happened. It became clear to me that we are never alone and that God speaks to us through ourselves, through other people and through the events that we go through along our journey. I never saw that man again. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

In the current incarnation, most of my father's family are Christian Evangelicals, while my mother’s side of the family is predominantly Catholic. I am the only Spiritist in the family. I am grateful, however, for the education they gave me as I know that they did their best according to what they knew, dedicating their lives to teach the principles that are part of my personality today. May we become better tools in the work of Christ and may we be able to help rather than becoming an obstacle. In other words, may we act as true Christians. 

Interviewer’s note:

For more information about the work of FEMARIA and the its live broadcasts online, please access the organisation’s website: www.femaria.com.br