Coffee with the Gospel, a great idea that was born during the pandemic

Silvia Maria Ruella de Freitas (photo), was born in the Brazilian city of Ubá, in the state of Minas Gerais, and now lives in Seropédica, in Rio de Janeiro state. She graduated in Domestic Economics and has an MBA in People Management, working as a business manager. She was brought up as a Spiritist and works as a volunteer at the Paulo de Tarso Spiritist Centre. She is also involved in a number of other activities, including the Café com o Evangelho (Coffee with the Gospel) programme, a project that began during the recent coronavirus pandemic, as she explains in the following interview:

When and how did you become a Spiritist? 

My family became Spiritists soon after my birth. My father was the first one in the family to have contact with the Teachings and he introduced them to us. My siblings and I attended the Ismael Spiritist Centre in Ubá as children.

Which aspect of Spiritism strikes you the most? 

What really fascinates me in Spiritism is the comforting nature of the Teachings and their rationality, which facilitates the full understanding of the Laws of God. It’s also amazing how Spiritism is able to provide the answers to our most private questions, offering guidance on how to live on Earth and how to make the most of our experiences in order to develop as Spirits. 

What would you say about the Gospel? 

It has the power to make us into better human beings in this world and for this world, helping us overcome our flaws and challenges so we’re able to put the Gospel of Jesus into practice in our daily lives. 

How did you begin your involvement with the daily editions of the Café com Evangelho programme? 

It was in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, when I accepted an invitation by Aloísio Silva. We began doing the Gospel in the Home online daily, via Zoom. We opened the programme with a discussion on the book Pão Nosso (Our Daily Bread), dictated by Emmanuel. The idea was to invite our friends so that we were able to share 20 minutes of our day to lift up our thoughts, as we were surrounded by all the scarry developments and sadness of those days. The daily study sessions that we held were crucial to help us keep positive and balanced. 

What have you learned from that experience? 

How technology can be used to unite the hearts of so many people spread across the planet, people who need love and the Gospel of Jesus as a source of balance, serenity and peace. 

What can you say about the participation of the listeners? 

The programme gets on average 200 people who listen live and thousands who access it later in the day. We encourage listeners to post their comments, which we then put on the screen. It really feels like we are all gathering around the table for the Gospel in the Home. Many of our regular listeners have become commentators in the programme. And many people who have benefitted from our programmes have shared their experiences with us, explaining how the ‘World Coffee with the Gospel’ has helped them overcome their problems in a more serene and lighter manner.  

From all the contributions that Spiritism gives to the understanding of the Gospel, what would you like to highlight to our readers? 

I would like to highlight the work of Emmanuel and Chico Xavier, two tireless workers who have left us a legacy that is a true enlightening guideline for our lives. Emmanuel scrutinises the Gospel with Jesus, producing his interpretation of the New Testament with a great deal of wisdom, clarity and beauty. And his message encourages us to give birth, every single day, to a new, better version of ourselves. And the extracts that we have studied seem to fall like a glove for our current times. 

When is the programme broadcast? 

Everyday at 08:00 local time (1pm, or 13:00, GMT) and you can watch it on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

The Café com Evangelho Mundial (World Coffee with the Gospel) has inspired other Spiritists, who began producing their own daily programmes, helping with their efforts spread the consoling message of Spiritism. We have similar programmes now, for example, in Portugal, with Filipe Pereira, and in Spain. Finally I would like to express my gratitude to God for the opportunity of being alive. And I would like to urge everyone to let their light bright and put to good use the talents they were awarded with in this incarnation.