Berkley Center

Pedro Silva: I know we have different faith backgrounds. I grew up fundamentalist and very religious and very conservative. And over the years, even though I think in my core I'm still that way, but it's kind of like a flower before it blossoms, it's kind of stiff and rigid, and it needs to be in order for the flower to kind of grow. And then when the time comes, it starts to spread out and soften, which I think has happened for me over the years, maybe you agree, maybe you don't agree. But I think part of that softening has been our relationship. So I feel in a lot of ways our relationship is an expression of my faith because so much of us doesn't make sense.

Kelly FitzSilva: Mm-hmm. I was Catholic growing up, but I felt like it wasn't as expansive as I was seeking as far as my connection with God. And I never really liked living inside of boxes. And so when I met you, I think the fact that you were really religious was harder for me than the fact that if you hadn't been, if you were just spiritual, because then it felt like it was a box.

I'm an explorer by nature. I love to travel. I love to learn about people, places, things, foods. I studied anthropology in college and I became a photographer, and I used my camera as a tool for me to get into places to see things. But for me, learning how to do Reiki and then expanding myself into spirituality, there was something inside of me where I always knew it was bigger than the boxes that humans create for spirituality. And then you and I started talking more.

Pedro Silva: Now we have this whole life. We've been poor and then been doing decent. I went from being... all these different jobs before I became a pastor and stopped being a pastor. And you've been there the whole time in all the different iterations of me. And we both changed a lot.

Now you have long hair and I have short hair. When we met, I had long hair and you had short hair. I don't know. It's kind of wild. And I think that faith keeps us together too, even when we butt heads.

Kelly FitzSilva: I mean, no matter how hard it can be, sometimes that's how it comes up for me. I'll see it as an opportunity and I'm like, "Okay, I still have work to do here." It bridges that space where you can kind of have something in common.

Pedro Silva: Yeah. Well, I mean, I appreciate, even though I've talked to you for 20 years-

Kelly FitzSilva: We're still learning.

Pedro Silva: Yeah. I appreciate that we're continuing to learn. And even in this conversation, I feel like I've learned. Because at the end of the day, prayer is a conversation. So we're praying every time we talk to each other.

Kelly FitzSilva: Right.

Pedro Silva: Yeah.

Kelly FitzSilva: Yeah, that's really beautiful.