The “Man vs. Wild” TV show made Bear Grylls famous. It showcases Grylls’ survival techniques in extreme environments. Viewers are shocked to see him eating live reptiles, giant larva, and raw mammal parts as last-resort food sources.
Grylls began learning about survival while serving in British special forces. A broken back from a parachuting accident ended his military career. But that did not stop him from summitting Mount Everest two years later, a testimony to his resilience. TV producers noticed. His career as a soldier, adventurer, TV personality, and author is the story of an unconventional life. I doubt he would want it otherwise!
As a child, Grylls heard the Bible and observed his grandfather’s bedtime prayers. He thought faith was beautiful, at least until his boarding school experience soured him on religion. When he was 16, his godfather died. In his grief, he climbed a tree for solitude. “I wish you were real, God,” he prayed. “I wish you were like I knew you when I was a boy. Are you there?”
Grylls points to that prayer as the beginning of his journey with Christ. “People came into my life who became mentors, guides, friends,” he said. He expresses his faith as “the light of the Almighty within me.” He explains, “None of us deserves this gift. I certainly don’t. If anything, I am more aware than ever how often I have failed, yet still I am forgiven. That’s why Christ turned everything on its head. His forgiveness is free because He has paid the price. He took our place on the Cross. He died to set us free. It’s the greatest story ever told.”
Grylls distinguishes between a relationship with Jesus and performative religion: “For me, faith is not very religious. I believe we’re loved. For me, Christ has been a quiet empowering daily presence.” He defends assisting with the baptism of his friend, Russell Brand: “You can’t only stand beside people who have had perfect journeys.” He allows for uncertainty: “I have many struggles, many doubts. I really don’t have it all together, but I know that I am loved and held, and the light shines.”
Jesus’s bold life of love and sacrifice attracts unconventional characters. He found Zacchaeus sitting in a tree. John the Baptist ate locusts. Paul killed Christians. These witnessed an uncompromising Jesus focused on His mission: “To preach the gospel to the poor… to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
Grylls said, “Finding a simple faith that empowers my life… to me, that’s been my greatest adventure.” Jesus doesn’t call you to be normal or formal. He calls you to an adventure with Him. If that makes you unconventional, so be it.