Oriol’s talk with God
Today, Evelin and I attended Oriol Jara’s book launch for his latest work, La conversa amb Déu, or in English, Conversing with God.
Oriol is a Catalan scriptwriter and known for his contributions to popular television programs on Catalan TV such as Buenafuente, Polònia, and The Roast on Comedy Central. He has also directed programs like This is Philosophy for Spanish national television and also produces a radio program on Catalan national radio.
In recent years, Oriol underwent a profound transformation, which started with reading the Bible and recognizing the reality and presence of God. He now describes this as his conversion.
In 2022, he penned Ten reasons to believe in God, a personal and rather unapologetic defense of the Christian faith. In February 2023, we invited him to present his book at Ciutat Nova in Barcelona. We exchanged numbers and somehow we became friends within a matter of days, a friendship focused on our conversations about Christ, his Word and his work.
I am deeply grateful for Oriol— not because he is a relatively well-known public figure who defends the faith, but as a reminder that God continues to change lives of Catalans in places where I would least expect it.
Oriol’s consistent message, “It is not about me, it is about Jesus,” echoes through his latest book, published last month. Here, he candidly explores how the Bible relates to our daily experiences. The book, straightforward and more than once “in-your-face” challenging, reflects Oriol’s process in recognizing Jesus’ voice in Scripture. Unbothered by postmodern hermeneutics, he unashamedly and rather prophetically calls out our inconsistencies and inability with life itself. His solution: Get acquainted with the God of life.
To my surprise, Oriol asked me last June to write the epilogue for this book. In our many phone conversations, we often emphasized the importance of giving God the final word—a theme he wished me to explore. So I summarized what we often spoke of: Jesus as the fulfillment of that biblical refrain, the antidote against despair, God’s answer to human failing: “But God...” We find these words throughout the Bible, signifying hope and offering a genuine remedy amid our reality. In Jesus’ death and resurrection we see that God has indeed the last word.
So today, Monday November 13th, in a big hall at the “Casa de Cultura” in the heart of Girona city, as the room had filled up, Antoni Puigverd, a respected professor, writer, and journalist, presented Oriol’s book. Antoni highlighted Oriol’s manifest joy, not as self-centered attention-seeking, but a joy expressed in serving others, which is born from knowing Christ.
For the following hour, Evelin and I marveled at how Oriol fervently pointed towards Jesus as history’s pivotal figure and the protagonist of his life. His unwavering focus on Christ’s unparalleled ability to purify us from within, carrying our impurity to the cross, and embracing our humanity, left us deeply moved.
It was a poignant moment—a testament to God’s active presence among Catalans. After the presentation, while people queued to have their book signed, we heard from many who, inspired by Oriol’s earlier book, had started reading the Bible. This captures Oriol’s essence—he writes so that people would not merely read his book, but the Bible.
Please join us in thanksgiving for Christ, who by his Word and Spirit continues to gather people we least expect into his flock. Let’s pray for all who hear Oriol’s testimony. That they would take up the Bible, read, and experience the same transformative joy.
