The other day my wife and I were watching “Jonathan & Jesus,” a Prime Video series about the actor who plays Jesus in the acclaimed show, “The Chosen.” A camera crew followed Jonathan Roumie around, as he traveled the world going to meetings and doing promotional events for the hit show.
The format of the series is very unstructured, with a lot of hand-held cameras. There are multiple vignettes of Roumie having conversations with friends and fans, and generally dealing with the hectic life and significant burden that comes with being the “face of Christ” to so many people. Roumie and his friends don’t hesitate to talk about their faith in the Lord, which is very refreshing. (Roumie is a devout Catholic, and the creator of the show, Dallas Jenkins, is an evangelical Protestant.) The program is enjoyable to watch, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is familiar with “The Chosen.”
The format of the series is very unstructured, with a lot of hand-held cameras. There are multiple vignettes of Roumie having conversations with friends and fans, and generally dealing with the hectic life and significant burden that comes with being the “face of Christ” to so many people. Roumie and his friends don’t hesitate to talk about their faith in the Lord, which is very refreshing. (Roumie is a devout Catholic, and the creator of the show, Dallas Jenkins, is an evangelical Protestant.) The program is enjoyable to watch, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is familiar with “The Chosen.”
I must admit, I was quite surprised during one episode when Jonathan Roumie spent time chatting with a friend who had become a Christian later in life. The friend’s name is Vincent Furnier, but most people know him by his stage name: Alice Cooper. Yes, THAT Alice Cooper, the originator of “shock rock” in the early 1970s.
Back when rock bands focused primarily on playing music during live concerts, the Alice Cooper band was way ahead of its times, bringing exotic theatrical elements to the shows. Common props included: fake blood, axes, gallows, simulated torture and executions, a boa constrictor, and a guillotine. The more that parents and preachers and politicians railed against the band, claiming that Alice Cooper’s macabre “horror rock” was corrupting the morals of America’s youth, the more popular the band became.
Which, of course, is nothing new. Teenagers love doing things that annoy adults. As soon as grown-ups complain about something, teens go out of their way to embrace that exact thing. If parents started complaining that homework was bad for their children, the kids would immediately start begging their teachers to assign lots of homework. (Hmm, maybe parents should employ a little reverse psychology.)
Back when rock bands focused primarily on playing music during live concerts, the Alice Cooper band was way ahead of its times, bringing exotic theatrical elements to the shows. Common props included: fake blood, axes, gallows, simulated torture and executions, a boa constrictor, and a guillotine. The more that parents and preachers and politicians railed against the band, claiming that Alice Cooper’s macabre “horror rock” was corrupting the morals of America’s youth, the more popular the band became.
Which, of course, is nothing new. Teenagers love doing things that annoy adults. As soon as grown-ups complain about something, teens go out of their way to embrace that exact thing. If parents started complaining that homework was bad for their children, the kids would immediately start begging their teachers to assign lots of homework. (Hmm, maybe parents should employ a little reverse psychology.)
Anyway, the segment where Roumie chatted with Alice Cooper was fascinating. Cooper, now in his mid-70s, still has the iconic long, black hair, giving him the appearance of a bad-boy rock star. But he’s a very well-spoken and intelligent man, and he calmly and quietly discussed his struggles with alcohol and drugs, and how putting his faith in Christ many years ago completely changed his life. (Hey, that’s my story, too, except for the millionaire rock star part.)
After turning his life over to Christ and getting sober, Cooper told his manager that he felt compelled to go public with his religious conversion and sobriety. His manager flat-out told him, “If you do that, your career is over.”
Ignoring his manager’s advice, Cooper told the world about his love for Jesus, and it didn’t hurt his career at all.
I have some Alice Cooper songs downloaded on my phone, but to be honest, I’ve never been a fan of heavy metal, death metal, horror rock, or whatever they call it. I prefer more mainstream classic rock, such as The Beatles, Springsteen, Eagles, U2, etc. Because of this, I hadn’t really kept track of Alice Cooper’s career. I knew of him (or them, since the band and the lead singer go by the same name), but I didn't know what he was up to these days.
After turning his life over to Christ and getting sober, Cooper told his manager that he felt compelled to go public with his religious conversion and sobriety. His manager flat-out told him, “If you do that, your career is over.”
Ignoring his manager’s advice, Cooper told the world about his love for Jesus, and it didn’t hurt his career at all.
I have some Alice Cooper songs downloaded on my phone, but to be honest, I’ve never been a fan of heavy metal, death metal, horror rock, or whatever they call it. I prefer more mainstream classic rock, such as The Beatles, Springsteen, Eagles, U2, etc. Because of this, I hadn’t really kept track of Alice Cooper’s career. I knew of him (or them, since the band and the lead singer go by the same name), but I didn't know what he was up to these days.
So, let me just say this: the phrase “Alice Cooper is a born-again Christian” was definitely not on my bingo card. It was a real surprise to see the legendary bad boy of rock talking to Jonathan Roumie about how much he loves Jesus and how the Lord delivered him from addiction and despair.
The moral of the story is simple: the power of Christ can overcome even the worst of situations. If you don’t know the Lord, ask Him into your heart today. If you get a chance, watch “Jonathan & Jesus.” And definitely watch “The Chosen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment