Gerson Luiz Tavares:

“The Spiritist Doctrine has as
a mission the moral regeneration of humanity”
 

Former president of the Catarinense Spiritist Federation and an active lecturer in the Spiritist movement and qualification of workers, Gerson Luis Tavares, married, father of two kids, is a lawyer at Tribunal de Contas in Santa Catarina. Born to a Spiritist family, he talks in this interview about his trajectory and the current moment of Spiritism in his city, Florianopolis, and his state. O Consolador: How did you become Spiritist?  Since  my  father  moved  from Curitiba to

Florianopolis, he started showing signs of development of mediumship. With the expected uncomforting, normal for those who don’t know it, he decided to look for Spiritist counsel. He then met Oswald Mello, founding of the Catarinense Spiritist Federation, secretary of the Golden Pact. He was oriented by this brilliant man and soon deviated from the Catholic Church. In this new context of his life, I was born, and I was not even baptized. I have been raised, therefore, since my childhood under the Spiritist blessings.

O Consolador: What is your educational background? 

Graduated in Law from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, I am Tributary Auditor of External Control for the Tribunal de Contas in Santa Catarina. 

O Consolador: What books have you written? 

We have published the following books: the Modern Christian, Education of Will, Dynamics of Thought and Themes of Love and Life. 

O Consolador: What has the response been so far?  

The response has been very nice. I receive information from lecturers that our books have been used for their lectures. We receive letters and phone calls saying thanks. This is very rewarding. 

O Consolador: What can you tell about your books? And how can one buy them? 

I can say they are simple books, which I wrote as a form of gratitude for the Spiritist Doctrine, and also help social works. The topics are important for our everyday living. They talk about thought, will and questions that make us reflect upon life, our origin and destination. The books emphasize the importance of love and knowledge, a must for happiness and peace. All the books have been sold out. We are reviewing the books for further editions. We have been working on new books as well, for the first semester of 2009. 

O Consolador: What roles have you exercised in the Spiritist Movement? 

Director of the Doctrinal Department, lecturer, coordinator of a study group and mediumistic meeting mediator at the Spiritist Center “Love and Humility of the Apostle”. President at the Spiritist Center “Love and Humility of the Apostle”. Director the Doctrinal Department at the Catarinense Spiritist Federation. President of the Catarinense Spiritist Federation, where I left last February. Currently, besides working at the Spiritist Center “Renascer”, we work in lectures and seminars. 

O Consolador: What Spiritist institution are you currently working at? 

During my childhood, youth and part of my adult life we had the blessing to attend, study and work at the Spiritist Center “Love and Humility of the Apostle”, the oldest Spiritist institution in Florianopolis (established in 1910), and the third in the state. Currently, I’ve been working at the Spiritist Center “Renascer”, which also owns the Children Education Center Renascer, which caters for the families with social risks in São José – Florianopolis County. I’m the current president and coordinator of the Social Area of the institution. 

O Consolador: What is your role in these activities of social promotion and how have you felt about it?  

We have been committed since our youth with activities of social promotion, under Spiritist orientation. Currently, the institution we preside caters for the families of a poor neighborhood. We also maintain the Children Education Center Renascer. We shelter eighty two children full-time. We are at the beginning of a program with teenagers, as we also try to increase the catering for families, enhancing the social promotion. I think that the activities of social promotion are an excellent way to exercise our fraternity, because the experiences we go through in this space of realizations have a great deal of learning. 

O Consolador: What experiences can you talk about these activities? 

I point out the excellence of the Spiritist conception of trials and expiations, as we witness important dramas, favoring the exercise of charity. In face of that, we identify the necessity of reeducation, since the greatest charity one can make is reeducating the self. Recently, on a Monday, I visited every room, see the kids, hug them, and talk to the educators. In the room of small kids, from two to three years old, a boy, visibly pale, was on the lap of one of the educators, who measured his temperature with a thermometer. He had a fever, and said the following: “I want my grandpa”. He is very attached to his grandfather, his paternal reference at home. We thought it was about disincarnating. However, we heard that his grandfather was in jail, charged with murder. The institution helped the kid as they could. I had the opportunity to think with the educators that the evil we practice radiates as an atomic bomb which produces devastating effects. All those connected to this action suffer. That man, with his bad action, affected his whole family and the society as well.  

O Consolador: Your presence in the Spiritist Movement is felt by the doctrinal activities, especially when it comes to lectures and seminars. What is your motivation to accomplish them? 

I’ve been fascinated by Spiritism since my childhood. When the Religion teacher at the public school where I attended said that Spiritism was not a Christian religion, I always contested. One of the things that I still remember, and I’m proud of it, was when I left the Evangelization Group (Spiritism for kids) and enrolled in the Youth Group, at the age 13. An irresistible inner motivation drove me to serve Spiritism. A friend of mine thought it was strange that I (and all Spiritist workers) was not paid to talk about the Doctrine. And if they ask me why I’m so dedicated, I don’t need to make a speech to justify. I just say: “Because it makes me happy”. 

O Consolador: Tell us about the Spiritist movement in your city and the state of Santa Catarina. 

Florianopolis has a Spiritist movement with 25 affiliated institutions, 18 in the island and 7 in the continent. Some institutions are not affiliated though; among them some will join the Spiritist Federation soon. In all Centers the attendance is excellent, in a live demonstration that the Spiritist Doctrine meets the human needs. In the state, we have 130 Spiritist Centers affiliated. The state is organized with the format of 16 Regional Councils (CRE), which facilitate the interaction between the Centers and the Federation. Regional-wise and statewide activities multiply to better provide the Spiritist workers with stimulus and qualification in our duties. 

O Consolador: How was your tenure at the Catarinense Spiritist Federation?  

The three-year tenure I had was very important, because of the experience I had. I can say that I’m stronger now to face my life challenges, because I’ve been through some rough ones already. If the pioneers of the Spiritist movement had to face the religious intolerance, today the challenges are in the movement itself. However, I had once more the honor to serve the ideal that blesses my life. We focused on the preparation of the Spiritist worker: lecturers, evangelizations, study groups, mediums, fraternal attendants, in short, we tried to enhance the services of the Spiritist Center to the community, focusing the ones who work in it, qualifying them in terms of doctrine and technique.

Two lessons were very important for me, while my tenure at FEC: that knowledge is indispensable for those who want to serve Christ. Study always must be the motto for Spiritist workers. The Spiritist knowledge helps us understand and practice the laws of God. The Spiritist knowledge is not briefly digested. What I point out, besides studying, is doing the good whenever possible. As for our Movement, the spirit of cooperation, solidarity and detachment, so that we can be useful. Spiritist movement has nothing to do with disputes, grudges, nor is it adapted to factions, parties, and fights for power. The Spiritist movement only loses with that. 

O Consolador: How have you faced the controversial topics in the Spiritist Movement?  

I am not worried about it, because I’m certain they happen because of the Movement, as being practiced by humans, has qualities and defects of those who still need to live here. Important is to remain strong in our duties, aware of the work we need to accomplish under the light of Spiritism, with humility, detachment and study. Whenever the controversial topics seem to threat the integrity of the Movement, I have kept studying and living under the strict discipline of the Doctrine, not afraid, not counter attacking, what makes other upset, those who want to introduce strange techniques and conceptions.

Our Movement has shown, despite the odds, maturity not to give in to non-Spiritist practices. In the meetings at the National Federative Council, at FEB, I was happy to conclude that all state federations keep it clean. FEB does a great job, taking on the worldwide leadership of Spiritism, emphasizing the Spiritist Compilation with the Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine. 

O Consolador: What about the controversial topics with the society, such as abortion?  

Controversial topics have always been present in society, and they worry educators, sociologists, authorities, and they are very important, since they reflect the social behavior. Abortion, for example, is a serious problem. Recently we were happy to see that it is no longer under the scrutiny of the National Congress. Other attempts have been made by Law-makers, as they are pressured by certain entities which lobby Congress. These questions are worrisome in face of the consequences of practices such as abortion, death penalty, euthanasia and researches with embryo stem-cells without considering the criteria of bioethics.

Society still lives the ignorance about origin, nature and spiritual destination of the human creature, and so they intend, with a hurried reasoning and brief conclusions, obtain licenses to remain in vicious, extravagant and selfish conducts.

According to the Spirits, the Spiritist Doctrine has as a mission the moral regeneration of humanity. Spreading and living its teachings by Spiritist is the means to which we can achieve our upper goal. That’s why; we shall remain in the studies which enrich the thought and the practices which make the character. 

O Consolador: How does it feel being a Spiritist lawyer? 

Spiritism helps any activity. The professional with Spiritist knowledge accomplishes his task aware of his mission in the world. I had the opportunity to work on my own for three years, and I got scared with some clients, and not a few of them, who arrived with a cause, but brought solutions against the Law. Of course I rejected them all. One day, before we got into a judicial audience, the witness who I accompanied asked me: - What should I say? And I told him: - The truth. Just answer the questions, no fear.

I had the opportunity to take a test to work for the state, which I am now, and I have faced new challenges since then. Such is life, one challenge after the other. He who is benefitted with the Spiritist knowledge and decides to accomplish their duties, with ethics, in any profession, will have conditions to collaborate with a better world to live.

O Consolador: Your final words. 

I would like to emphasize that the Spiritist has a treasure map, which has clear indications of how to get to the chest full of jewelry. This wealth is the knowledge that broadens the horizons of the mind for meeting the truth, once which incorporated to the moral values of oneself, turns into work and love. Enriched, happy with this conquest, we share this map, so that everybody can have a look at it. Problems, difficulties, sufferings, are our discipline, to make the reward even better.