*I can’t believe I’m actually writing this post*
I had the opportunity to interview Jesús Adrián Romero (JAR), which seemed impossible to happen because 1) He’s in another country 2) He travels a lot 3) He’s very, very busy, and 4) Hundreds of people write to him daily.
However, here we are! 😀 He took the time to visit my blog, and bless us all with his answers.
If you don’t know him, he’s a very famous singer (with an amazing gift for composing), the pastor of “Vástago Epicentro Monterrey” (Mexico), and the founder of a record production company called “Vástago producciones”.
Ready to know what he told me?
HERE. WE. GO.
PART I: SIMPLE SELECTION
1. Natacha Ramos: Would you rather eat or sleep?
Jesús Adrián Romero: Eat
2. NR: Ironman or Capitan America?
JAR: I’d choose “el Chapulín Colorado”, but since he’s not one of the options, I’ll go with Ironman.
3. NR: Monday or Friday?
JAR: Monday and Friday
4. NR: Salty or sweet?
JAR: Salty. I’m not a dessert person.
5. NR: Cat or dog?
JAR: Dog.
PART II: SHORT ANSWERS
1. NR: What movie does deserve a sequel?
JAR: E.T.
2. NR: What superpower would you like to have?
JAR: When I was kid, my dream was to fly, and I keep dreaming.
3. NR: Favorite book of “The Chronicles of Narnia”?
JAR: The Horse and His Boy.
*cofcof*ihaveavideoaboutthatone*cofcof*
4. NR: Last movie you watched?
JAR: Remember.
PART III: TO WRITE A LOT!
1. NR: Jesús Adrián, sometimes, when I write for my blog or do videos for channel, I fear critics to the point I almost get paralyzed. How do you deal with that?
JAR: It’s part of human nature to be affected by critics and rejection, but we shouldn’t let them paralyze us if we’re convinced that we have something to say.
A lot of what I write generates controversy, even though I don’t do it with that purpose. I write with the conviction that changes are needed. People prefer the status quo, they don’t want to challenge the pre-established order. Therefore, when we do that, critics and rejection will be the natural result.
2. NR: In my first years as a believer, I struggled almost daily with doubts and unbelief; that’s why C.S. Lewis has been one of the most significant inspirations in my life, because I know he went through the very same thing. Sometimes, when I read what you write, I get the idea that it has been a struggle for you too, am I right? What could you say to those going through this battle?
JAR: I believe there are two kinds of doubt: the honest one and the tendentious one.
The psalmist said: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”. It’s interesting to me that this passage doesn’t say: “The fool says in his mind”. So, there are doubts of the mind, and doubts of the heart.
The ones that come from the mind will lead you to study and research, which will inevitably take you to faith (C.S. Lewis would be a great example of that).
The ones that come from the heart are a refusal to believe, and God calls that foolishness.
Doubts have been part of my spiritual journey, but in the midst of everything, I’ve always been convinced of a couple of things regarding to God: his existence, his love, his faithfulness, etc. After all that, my doubts have been peripheral.
Something I’m really sure about is that doubts have given me a more grounded and honest kind of faith.
3. NR: One of the things I love the most about you as a worshipper is that you’ve always been yourself on the stage. You have a style that is completely different from the rest. Nevertheless, I’m sure that sometimes you’ve compared your ministry to others, how have you overcome that natural tendency?
JAR: A recipe for failure is to try to flow in a gift and temperament you don’t have.
When we compare ourselves to others, we belittle ourselves and what God has given us. I know that my gifts flow through my God-given temperament, and I must be faithful to that.
Talking specifically about arts, music in my case, honesty is a very important ingredient. When I imitate somebody else, I’m not honest with my calling, my gifts, and my temperament.
It’s good to learn from others, but we shouldn’t try to be like them.
4. NR: On this social media world we live in, what do you do for not getting obsessed with “likes”, “retweets”, “mentions, etc.? I mean, how do you keep balanced when you’re the center of so much attention (good and bad)?
JAR: A public figure has two images; one of them is the image that people create in their minds, and the other is the real one (husband, father, friend, runner, etc.). The danger lots of people fall into is to assume that the image in people’s mind is the real one. When we do that, we create confusion in us, and end up disappointing those who follow us.
If you understand that you are not what people think about you, you stop worrying about likes and stuff.
5. NR: Please, think about one time when you really wanted to give up. I’m not talking about merely getting tired, but about a time when you desperately wanted to walk away from ministry. Now, tell me why you didn’t. Why you kept going if you were ready to quit?
JAR: It has happened a couple of times, but the last one occurred about 6 years ago.
My wife says I do the job of three men, and we both got very tired. The tours, and the responsibility of leading a company and a congregation affected us.
One afternoon, after counseling some couples, we got exhausted. The last case we dealt with was completely lost, the only way out for them was divorce.
When that couple walked out the office, I turned to see Pecos, and she looked so sad and tired, I felt the same way. We cried together for a while, and we talked about the possibility of retirement.
We dreamt about getting a house in the mountains and live there, away from everything. I wanted to focus only on writing and traveling once in a while. The discouragement was so great. However, we got better, we renewed our strength in our relationship with God, and we kept doing what we do.
On those days, I wrote the song “Soplando vida” (Breathing life):
– Here’s a non-official translation for you to have a glimpse of how beautiful this song is:
I want to live in a house in the mountains
close to Heaven, close to God
I want to live where the air is fresh and pure
where I can even breath the Sun
but not yet, no
I want to live where is always spring
close to Heaven, close to God
I want to live where the morning sings
where trees dance with the Sun
but not yet, no
And here I am, on this valley of dead bones
breathing life, here I am
on this deserted valley
so thirsty of your love
Here I am
There it is!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview as I much as I did!
Here you find JAR’s social media accounts:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Website
And here you find mine:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Goodreads | Blog
As you realized, I don’t have a picture with Jesús Adrián to post here, so I have no choice but to visit Mexico one day to correct that terrible mistake 😉
See you soon!
Natacha R. Glorvigen 