Lying Giant).

In September 1989, two months before he passed away, Jerônimo came to Votuporanga, São Paulo. He gave some lectures to the spiritist centre Emmanuel and Humberto de Campos. We then had the chance to get hold of the following interview:
 

BRAZIL, THE HEARTH OF THE WORLD 

– Jerônimo, in the Brazilian society there is an overall disappointment regarding public administration. There is also hopelessness socially and indifference towards noble life values. Why is this happening? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – This is part of a transaction period the planet is going through. It couldn’t be different with Brazil. We need to believe tomorrow will be better than today, and trust honest men.  Everything will pass but the benefice results of the experience will stay. Overall, life is a school of constant examples. We, spiritists, need to see transitions with optimistic eyes towards the future. Today we see difficulties, inversion of values, violence and hate. Tomorrow we will see peace and hope. Brazil will be the Heart of the Word and the Gospel’s native country. 

DEATH PENALTY 

– Death penalty was never discussed as often as it has been nowadays in Brazil. There are some groups asking death penalty to be established for severe cases. How do you see this issue? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – We know violence does not extinguish violence. Death penalty for us Brazilians would be to step back, since we are a very peaceful country.  One of the Ten Commandments is you shall not kill. Violence does not solve anything. Let’s pray for these ideas not to reach the emotion and reason of men since love is the best way for human happiness. 

– How should a Christian who wants to contribute to implement a new social order in Earth behave? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – We can fulfil our duties, being faithful to Jesus teachings, with abnegation to the human and social cause. Today’s disciple needs to reflect the Master. He knew the perfect way to integrate with God and be happy is to fulfil our duties. If each of us can do it, the result will be victory.

LIVING THE GOSPEL 

– Jerônimo, why is it so hard to live Jesus’ teachings if we already have a lot of knowledge regarding His teachings?  

Jerônimo Mendonça – That’s because we have the Gospel as part of our intelligence but not as part of out feelings. It is still living at our mental sphere, but not in our hearts. A time will come when all of us will look back at the ones who did everything possible to implement Christianity in the world. They endured so much persecution in the first and second centuries, and we need to mirror them at the present time to bring Jesus’ teachings to our daily lives.        

PAIN AND SUFFERING 

– Are pain and suffering God’s creations? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – No, never. God, who is an infinite and perfect being, would never create suffering for his children. Pain and suffering are deviations from our free-will. Every attitude that goes against the laws of love from our Father means suffering for us all. God would never punish humanity with hunger, misery, physical and moral pain. We were the ones who created this.

TOXIC ADDICTIONS 

– Jerônimo, what would you have to say to the desperate parents who see their children getting lost with their addictions? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – I would like to say love even more these children. Our understanding of the psychological difficulties and obsessive processes involving these young kids need to be increased. The spirit reincarnates bringing together with them tendencies from the past which have not been overcome. Sometimes they find a home that is not well structured spiritually. Then instead of combating these tendencies, the parents keep reinforcing them with their examples. Patience, abnegation, forgiveness is needed. We also need to leave them to God, who will never leave his children out of his sight. 

WHAT IS IT TO HAVE FAITH? 

– Jesus said ‘if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ What is it to have faith? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – Faith, according to the spirit Emmanuel, is the vision of life; the logic of life itself. The farmer knows the seed will grow to become tomorrow’s tree. Therefore, if he doesn’t have faith that he is able to harvest, the seed will remain as an embryo. Faith is a personal conquest in time and space. With the Spiritist Doctrine, faith looses the mystical character and becomes rational.  It about knowing the path and the way: this is faith. 

HAPPINESS        

– Jerônimo, how can we find happiness in everything we look for? 

Jerônimo Mendonça – Happiness is made of an exchange; love is made of a fusion. It is impossible to be happy being selfish. Happiness is made of exchange; since it is giving that we receive.