Russell Brand says first month as a Christian has been ‘beautiful’

Russell Brand has called his first month as a Christian “beautiful” and a “big change”.

The actor and comedian, who’s facing serious sexual misconduct allegations, shared his thoughts together with his social media followers following his baptism last month. 

The 48 12 months old was baptised within the River Thames after exploring Christianity for several months. He was assisted in his baptism by TV presenter and adventurer Bear Grylls. 

In a TikTok video Brand said he was “learning” quite a bit and still had so way more to learn but that the journey to date had been “beautiful”. 

“I’ve been a Christian a month now, and it has been a giant change,” he said. 

“Not that I’ve entirely modified as an individual. Of course, I have not, but I’ve taken on loads of recent concepts, and it changes you to just accept that it is not such as you’re in a game show, and by doing really, really good things, you may get redeemed.”

He reflected on what repentance means to him and the way he looks like he’s in a “battle” with himself but also can receive mercy and love through Jesus. 

“Repentance, to repent, signifies that you could have to repeatedly change and acknowledge that I’m in a battle against myself, that I would like to give up myself to an ever-present, internal and accessible Jesus, that mercy is something that is given to me, been granted to me, that I live with through love, not something that I can form of win or achieve by doing good deeds,” he said.

Despite this struggle, he said he felt like there was an “inner illumination” guiding him now each time he feels “unsure” or like he’s “being selfish or inconsiderate or putting myself first or not fascinated with how I might be higher to other people”. 

He then said that he loved the “simplicity” of the Christian faith and God coming to earth as a person and sacrificing himself “because that is the only sacrifice that might bring us home, that might give us the chance for redemption”.

“I like the thought, when I’m in prayer and in communion, just alone, that there’s a figure available, wounded and coronated, available to me. In my failings and my failures and in my fallibility, there’s strength,” Brand said.