Jerri Roberto Santos de Almeida:

“Bring Jesus to our daily reflections and everyday living– he says – is our duty”

Violence is a thermometer which signals the necessity of an
urgent review on values. This will lead to a depletion of the materialistic way of living, where the human being
should reconsider its role in the world

O Consolador: What are the roles you perform at the Spiritist Center? 

I collaborate in the Fraternal Advice; I coordinate study groups and deliver lectures. 

O Consolador: What roles have you performed in the Spiritist movement? 

I have already been president of the former Spiritist Municipal Union of Santo Antonio da Patrulha, unifier organ of the 10th. Federative Region, which comprises the North Shore of Rio Grande do Sul. Since the early 90’s, I’ve been part of the lecturers group at FERGS. I’ve also taken on the role as the president of the Spiritist Society Love and Charity for 2 tenures.  

O Consolador: Have you got any articles published? 

Yes, I have several articles published in the journal Spiritist Dialogue and the magazine Reincarnation, both organs of FERGS.  

O Consolador: In the Spiritist Movement you have been much requested as a lecturer for seminars and lectures. What topics do you prefer to approach and what has been the response so far?  

I have traveled across Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina delivering lectures and, chiefly, seminars in general. The topics I have been approaching, over the years, focus on relational questions, where we seek the contribution for Spiritism, in a constant dialogue with other areas of knowledge, to discuss topics such as: Living together, Love, Family, Happiness, and Self-knowledge etc. 

O Consolador: What are the books published? 

Philosophy of Living Together and The Challenge of Happiness: in a world of transformation, both distributed by Francisco Spinelli, www.fergs.org.br or (51)3224-1493.  

O Consolador: What has the response been so far? 

The books, as they approach questions which involve the relational and emotional universe of the human creature, have been well assessed. I take part in book fairs and radio programs where the questions, from participants and listeners, come back to the existential dilemmas of the human Spirit, in a steady search for peace and happiness. You can contact me on jerriroberto@terra.com.br .  

O Consolador: Tell us about your motivation to talk about topics like the philosophy of living together.  

Motivation has come, naturally, from the very challenges provided by the act of doing so.  At the second Spiritist Week of Torres (RS), in mid 90’s, I delivered a lecture called: The seven codes of living together. People were really interested about it, there was a great response. It was so interesting that, as time went by, I started going further on it. Then the book came out.  

O Consolador: What lessons can you share about your Spiritist living?  

The great experience that the Spiritist task provides us, and that lessons enable us to, is the conquering of the man over himself. It’s necessary to understand that love isn’t a religious metaphor, but a proposal of life in harmony, through effort, to be lived in the family and Spiritist institutions. I have noticed, without mistakes, that in Spiritist Societies, in general, fraternity is still shy and love, a speech. The lesson I’ve been trying to learn is that we need to love, getting to know ourselves better.  

O Consolador: How do you rate the Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine (ESDE) in Spiritist Centers?  

I believe we are living in a very good moment in the area of knowledge and study of the Doctrine. Never have people studied as now. Our groups have been requested, people eager for the explanation given by Spiritism. Watch out, though, for dogmatic studies, but instead a debate on the Standard Works and not additional books. We should revisit Kardec constantly! The Standard Works HAVE NOT been depleted, as some think. 

O Consolador: How do you analyze the current moment of Spiritism? 

Spiritism has been living a fertile moment. It’s on TV, soap operas, in documentaries. We’ve recently seen the impact of the movie Bezerra de Menezes all over Brazil, with rooms packed! We have countless sites of great quality, spreading with responsibility the doctrinal content. CEI is there, amplifying the horizons of the organized Spiritist Movement. So, I’m really optimist! 

O Consolador: What do you think about education?  

I’m a teacher. I believe that education is, as Kardec said on the item 685 of the Spirits’ Book, a highly dynamical element, able to form the good man. Of course, we are referring to moral education, which produces good and healthy habits, which improves the human Spirit and makes him better, more human and helpful. Education is a process of extracting from the inside, but also allow stimulus that lead him to reflection and internalization of values, in a world in constant crisis of its affirmative paradigms.  

O Consolador: What about parents being absent because they believe school can educate their children?  

That’s very serious. I’ve written about it. Working in tandem with a Spiritist friend, doctor, we are elaborating a book to discuss family and its relations in postmodernity. Parents make a serious mistake when they give up on their roles, responsibilities. Such thing that time and conscience will charge for. 

O Consolador: How do you see criminality and violence in our country? 

We live in a society full of paradoxes. A society which teaches that life is invaluable, but which also, every time, is conducive to drugs, alcohol, to look for success in a helter-skelter manner. Bring Jesus to our daily reflections and everyday living– he says – is our duty.” 

Violence is a thermometer which signals the necessity of an urgent review on values. This will lead to a depletion of the materialistic way of living, where the human being should reconsider its role in the world. From evil, as the Spirits say, God will make good!

O Consolador: Your final words. 

I thank for the opportunity. This is a very important moment of our lives, where we’ve been rehearsing for the values of the soul, trying to keep in order the ones of the body. But is has a great modifier: Jesus Christ. In its wisdom, violence will retreat, as a museum piece, and the human creatures are going to receive the balsams, easing the struggles. Therefore, bring Jesus to our daily reflections and everyday living– he says – is our duty.” Peace!