Laurent de Cherisey: “Being human, together”
You publish Sharing can change everything. In a few words, tell us…
In a world marked by anxiety and the temptation to withdraw into oneself, I wish to convey a message of hope. Contributing to building a society based on trust and fraternity is the basis of my project. For almost fifteen years, this has become a reality thanks to the Simon de Cyrène association which brings able-bodied and disabled people to live together under the same roof. The life force of the most fragile strikes visitors when they come to one of our twenty-five shared houses.
What does your book reveal about you?
How much these shared houses, launched following my sister Cécile’s car accident, have given meaning to my existence. My commitment simply makes me happy by making this phrase from researcher and essayist Albert Jacquard my own: “I don’t have to be stronger than the other, I have to be stronger than myself thanks to the other!” »
The personality you dream of inviting to the table in your shared homes?
The one who will agree to experience a moment of sharing and truth with disabled people. And to take their hand to embark on the promised land of joy.
The book you never tire of rereading?
The Bible, because it contains a living word in our daily lives. Every morning, I immerse myself in it with relish, drawing energy from it to start my day.
A gene you’re happy to have inherited?
A taste for social entrepreneurship, because it allows us to become friends with those whose dignity is violated, or who are isolated after a serious accident.
A quality that you will be proud to pass on to your five children?
Confidence in life. It is embodied in faith in God and in the encounter with others.
Pope Francis invites himself to your table. What topic are you discussing?
We would discuss the encyclical Fratelli Tutti , in order to discuss the experience of fraternity. The opportunity to discuss how our differences become an asset, not a threat. How beautiful it is to be human, together!
