Actor Russell Brand has announced that has been baptized as a Christian.
The news comes after Brand had been open about his spiritual journey with fans noticing his comments continued to come back to Jesus and salvation.
“The reason I wear a cross is because Christianity and, in particular, the figure of Christ are, it seems to me, inevitably becoming more important as I become more familiar with suffering, purpose self and not-self,” he previouslysaid in a social media video.
The 48-year-old actor said he had been “reading the Bible a lot more,” as well as Rick Warren’s “The Purpose-Driven Life.” He said that when he was growing up, Christianity appeared to him either “really irrelevant and old-fashioned and sort of dusty” or too modernized.
In a video posted Wednesday, Brand explained further why he decided to get baptized and why others will follow suit.
Russell Brand talks his baptism. pic.twitter.com/olA5QT8rlv
— James Dunn 🦡🇺🇸 (@dunnrightpodcst) April 29, 2024
Now, Brand has seemingly made his decision.
“The truth is this: As a person that has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with the inability to deliver the kind of tranquility and peace and even transcendence that I’ve always felt I’ve been looking for, something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible, overwhelming,” he said
“I’ve reached a point where the figure, the personage, the presence of Christ has become overwhelming, unavoidable, and welcome, even necessary,” he added.
“People are so cynical about the increasing interest in Christianity and the return to God, but to me, it’s obvious,” he said. “As meaning deteriorates in the modern world, as our value systems and institutions crumble, all of us become increasingly aware that there is this eerily familiar awakening and beckoning figure that we’ve all known all of our lives, within us and around us. And for me it’s very exciting.”
Brand told his audience he had begun reading the Bible, as well as the works of Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis. In January, Brand posted a video of himself on X explaining why he had been wearing a cross, stating, “The reason I wear a cross is because Christianity and in particular, the figure of Christ are it seems to me inevitably becoming more important as I become more familiar with suffering, purpose, self and not self.”
Brand’s journey has been was met with an outpouring of support and encouragement from users on X, many of whom said they were praying for him. Pastor Greg Laurie wrote a long letter to the actor in which he explained that he once was put off by Christians until he heard the gospel. Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon wrote: “If he’s not a Christian already, he may get there soon. The important question he needs to answer for himself is not whether Christianity is useful but whether it’s true.”
–Alan Goforth | MV