One of the delights of my priestly life is when I’m asked to perform a baptism. Sometimes it will be babies held by their parents, but often it’s mature people who have come to know Jesus Christ, and long for this sacramental bonding into God’s family. I welcome every one of them.
I have the same attitude towards Russell Brand, who has just announced to his millions of online followers that on Sunday he was baptised. He said that he felt “incredibly blessed” and that he was “nourished” by it all. I’m delighted for him and hope that he emerges as a true follower of Jesus, committed to devotion to God, loving his enemies, standing with the poor and the marginalised, and putting others before himself.
But there’s even more to it than that. Baptism involves transformation, a different life, and what we might think of as a great, glorious coming clean. This new covenant is not just for us but to us; in other words, it’s not something that’s passive but for an adult is an indication of action and movement, and it also demands humility and contrition.
Sins are forgiven, but there needs to be proof that the truth of those sins – errors or wrongs if you prefer – has been understood and accepted, otherwise it can all resemble a politician’s public tears. Have lessons been learned, have we paid a price, are we trying to repair damage done? Accepting Jesus means accepting what he demanded of us, and that’s not easy.
Brand has been accused of sexual assault, rape, and emotional abuse by four women and has also been interviewed twice by the police under caution for what are thought to be other alleged crimes. One of his accusers was aged 16 at the time of the incident.
He denies the charges, arguing that while he was “was very, very promiscuous” he only had consensual relationships. It would therefore be absurd to expect him to admit guilt where he claims there is none. But whatever the legalities, he has clearly hurt people deeply. If he has apologised for it, I haven’t seen it. Nor have I witnessed any indication that he’s a changed man.
What I have seen is Russell Brand focusing on Russell Brand: “Something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible, overwhelming, literally overwhelming because I was obviously underwater and it was the River Thames.” And, “Like it says in Galatians: that you can live as an enlightened and awakened person”.
That’s not all that Paul’s letter to the Galatians says. His epistles, the entire New Testament, and the teachings of Jesus aren’t just another form of self-help or the latest wellness technique. Yet Brand writes that he is, “a person that has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with their inability to deliver the kind of tranquillity and peace and even transcendence I always felt I’ve been looking for”.
So, he’s found the right drug, the fix that works, the latest cure for turmoil? No! While Christianity does indeed bring peace, it teaches less that we should “feel” better about ourselves than that we should “be” better because of belief.
Read it all at inews.co.uk
