In an honest update, comedian Russell Brand shared reflections on his “beautiful” first month as a Christian, calling it a period of significant transformation and newfound clarity. The 48-year-old actor said in a recent TikTok video, “I’ve been a Christian a month now, and it’s been a big change. Not that I’ve entirely changed as a person. Of course, I haven’t, but I’ve taken on a lot of new concepts, and it changes you to accept that it’s not like you’re in a game show, and by doing really, really good things, you can get redeemed.”
For Brand, he said the journey to Christianity has been about accepting the concept of repentance and acknowledging an internal struggle. He said, “Repentance, to repent, means that you have to continually change and acknowledge that ‘I am in a battle against myself,’ that I need to surrender myself to an ever-present, internal and accessible Jesus, that mercy is something that’s given to me, been granted to me, that I live with through love, not something that I can sort of win or achieve by doing good deeds,”
The entertainer shared how his faith has brought “incredible” people and literature into his life, offering him a sense of peace and direction. He explained, “When I’m in doubt, I feel that instruction is there, accessible. I feel like I know what I’m supposed to do, and when I don’t do what I’m supposed to do, that’s even clearer. When I feel myself being selfish or inconsiderate or putting myself first or not thinking about how I can be better to other people, it’s as if there is an inner illumination available to me now.” Brand expressed admiration for the simplicity and profundity of Christian doctrine, particularly the narrative of God coming to earth as a man and sacrificing Himself for humanity’s redemption.
@russellbrandOne month as a Christian, and already…♬ original sound – Russell Brand
“I love the simplicity of the idea of God coming to earth as a man to experience what it is to be human and to sacrifice Himself because that’s the only sacrifice that could bring us home, that could give us the opportunity for redemption,” he said. “I like the idea, when I’m in prayer and in communion, just alone, that there is a figure available, wounded and coronated, available to me. In my failings and my failures and in my fallibility, there is strength.” Brand emphasized that this journey is only beginning. He conveyed a sense of excitement and eagerness to continue learning and growing in his faith.
He said, “It’s a beautiful journey to go on. I know I’m just at the beginning. I know I’m just learning. I know there’s so much more to learn, and I’m so excited to learn more from you and for us to learn together.” Brand, baptized in April, has published a series of videos in recent months about his spiritual journey to the Christian faith. In a video in May, he said, “I know a lot of people are sort of cynical about the increasing interest in Christianity and the return to God, but to me, it’s obvious. 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.”