Russell Brand says he is 'held alive by' serving Jesus Christ: 'I am in the business of service'
Comedian Russell Brand has again spoken out about the impact of his new faith in Christ during a recent conversation with Neil Oliver posted to X, saying he is in the "business of serving Jesus Christ."
"In surrendering to Christ, there is something extraordinary about saying there is this man, another man, entirely God, entirely man. But through some necessary, extraordinary, metaphysical act just beyond the edge of rational understanding, the Creator of this simulation came into the simulation and told us, 'Hello, I am God. I've come here. Here are some virtues and values,'" Brand said.
Brand shared a message that was once spoken by Christian author C.S. Lewis.
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"C.S. Lewis talks about the 'stoics era' … to imagine that one might be able to do always what one can do sometimes. You know, there are times where it's like … 'I am not in the business of Russell Brand anymore," Brand said.
"I am in the business of service. Serve Jesus Christ. And it's such a powerful idea that I'm held alive by it. But surely, this parasite nature grips me again, and I return to egotism. I return to wanting and longing and fear. And all of those limiting things."
In surrendering to Christ...
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) July 1, 2024
From my conversation with my friend @thecoastguypic.twitter.com/F4A4HPN0BH
Brand recently developed a relationship with Jesus Christ and was baptized into the faith in April.
"I've been a Christian a month now, and it's been a big change," he said in a TikTok video posted in May. "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."
In recent years, the actor has also come under heavy public scrutiny and faces several allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from when he was a younger actor.
A joint investigation by The Times of London and Channel 4 released last September features four women who alleged Brand sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013 during the height of his film career. The Sunday Times reports that Brand was alleged to have assaulted a girl who was 16 years old at the time. Another woman told the outlet that Brand sexually assaulted her at his Los Angeles home in 2012.
Last December, Brand told his social media followers that he was reading through the Bible and The Problem of Pain, a 1940 book by C.S. Lewis that explores the role of suffering in the Christian life. He revealed in January that he was reading The Purpose-Driven Life by Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren. Although he once viewed churches as either too "old-fashioned" or too modernized, he said he found Christ more important in his life as he grew older.
After his baptism, the comedian said his faith brought "incredible" people and literature into his life, offering him peace and direction.
"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," Brand said in his May video.
"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," he explained. "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.
"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.
"It's a beautiful journey to go on," he said. "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."
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
