Second video interview in the series “Flashes of Life & Roots” : it features, U.S. entrepreneur “pioneer” of the Economy of Communion John Mundell
What is the purpose of the Flashes of Life & Roots project? If we sought decided to interview a series of "pioneer EoC" entrepreneurs, it is to collect the "precious pearls" contained in the experiences of those people who, in different parts of the world and in different cultural contexts, have responded in a radical way to a common vocation: that of giving life -with their lives- to the Economy of Communion.
The stories of the pioneers are fruits of the same tree, nourished by the same roots.... Getting to know their stories allows us to savor how different expressions of the same life can be, with different forms but a common aroma. The intent of this interview series is therefore to nurture and encourage those who, in the present and future, feel called to put the Economy of Communion into practice with their lives. That is to say, fruits that become seeds to generate new life in its many expressions.
The second protagonist of our interview series is John Mundell from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, who shared with us his rich experience of EoC life within his environmental engineering firm, Mundell & Associates: John told us about his courageous choice to leave a great job to start -amidst many difficulties- his EoC venture and many moments of the intense life of these 29 years; from his special relationship with EoC entrepreneur John Welch, to that with the homeless people he found at his office door in the morning, from his love for nature and the planet (which today has led him to work for Pope Francis' Laudato Sì) to his love for each of his employees and for the who have interned at Mundell, getting to know a lived Economy of Communion.
What is the economy communion? It's the concrete reality of transforming the world into a place that is filled with fairness, filled with relationships, that don't see barriers, that don't see differences between cultures. It's really to create this one planet where we're all in it together. We're all interrelated. We're all aware of each other as brothers and sisters.
I'm not sure that's even a good explanation, but that's my one today. It's not just about business. That sounds that's not much of the economy of communion, a little thing. It's so much more and it's a lifestyle. It's the lifestyle that we take on even in our families, about how we spend, what we spend, what we choose to do with our money, who we involve in our lives.
It's much bigger. The great thing I love about it is that we have a mix of theory and practicality. We have people who think about it, who publish about it, and we have people like me who try to live it and put it into practice in our daily lives. And we need everyone to make it happen.
