Some of you Tikkun-ers have told me from time to time: “Share with us about the people who inspire from your context in Brazil.”

Fair enough. I’ve already posted a link to one other video of my dear Brazilian friend, Claudio Oliver. But I couldn’t resist posting another: a video interview that took place earlier this week in Australia. This video continues the same line of reflection regarding poverty, friendship, and the presence/action of the local Christian communities.

To set the stage, I’ll just mention 2 key themes:

1) Friendship x Poverty

In order to get away from accounts of poverty that tend to reduce poverty to economic terms, Claudio poses an alternative definition: Poverty is best understood not as a lack of stuff and/or money, but rather as a lack of friends.

What we need to be doing, Claudio insists, is not creating programs of inclusion for those marginalized from the wealth of global economy, rather we need allow our friendships to marginalize our dependence upon that very economy. The more we organize our lives and priorities around availability for others and sharing what we what have, the less we are dependent upon money for mediating the exchanges for basic necessities, such as food, clothing, shelter and transportation.

The basic condition for this to happen is friendship.

2) Incarnation, Contingencies, and Learning from the Grassroots

We hear a lot these days about incarnational ministry as the way of being present in one’s context. Here, Claudio explores some things he has learned about being incarnated in a place: how he has learned from those who have been there longer (from those at the grassroots) and how truly being with/loving our neighbors arises from the contingencies of life–not from programs and planning. It’s the paradox of “Be prepared to be surprised!”

To watch the video, click here: