“I don’t want to know emptiness/Take me down to the water/Wanna be baptized in your love/Far away from the loneliness/Take my heart and wash away the fear/Let me be baptized in your love”
— from “Baptized”
Considering his widespread media coverage and musical success, it’s surprising that Lenny Kravitz’s prominent declarations of Christian faith go largely unnoticed. Accepting Jesus into his life after a conversation with a friend at the age of 13, Kravitz proudly wears a cross around his neck, along with a Star of David (referring to his father’s heritage, as well as his Savior’s). A tattoo on his back declares, “My heart belongs to Jesus Christ.” His 1993 hit “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” was apparently sung from Christ’s perspective, and his 1995 album Circus included songs that would be at home on most modern worship recordings. Check out Spiritual Journeys and The Rock && Roll Rebellion for other examples of Kravitz’s Christian beliefs.
Unfortunately, those outspoken beliefs are often blurred by mixed messages. General themes of secularized love are common in Kravitz’s songs, sometimes alluding to the sexual. He’s also been known to shoot some racy videos over the last decade, and profanity occasionally slips into his songwriting. It’s a confusing combination for Christians and non-Christians alike, and Kravitz’s new album Baptism is no exception. Ditching much of the funk and R&&B for a more laid-back approach to soulful ’70s rock/pop, the music is often subtle, sometimes infectious, and just as often clichéd. After years of grieving over his divorce with actress Lisa Bonet, Kravitz seems to have found new love, as heard in the banally worded “California,” “Lady,” and the awkwardly titled “Sistamamalover,” in which he expresses how a new woman fulfills all his needs.
Some tracks beg the question of whether Kravitz is using spiritual imagery to deliver rock clichés. For example, in “Calling All Angels,” is he praying for romance or Jesus to fill his emptiness? He sings of healing and saving souls in “Minister of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” but is he using spiritual jargon to express the power of music, or rock jargon to express the power of Jesus? That leads to another mixed message with “I Don’t Want to Be a Star,” in which Kravitz shuns materialism and fame, yet in “Flash,” he seems to embrace his role as superstar, though recognizing it as temporary success.
Such contradictions appropriately lend themselves to the questions asked in “Where Are We Runnin’?” and “What Did I Do With My Life?” The first asks what we strive for in life’s rat race, noting that, “The road is paved but narrow/I hope we all get home.” In the other, Kravitz asks if he’s lived the way he should, failing to draw a strong conclusion: “Did I exercise giving and forgiveness with all my might?/Did I honor my freedom and did I live in the light?”
In “Storm,” Kravitz’s faith is more prominent: “At night, I pray before I sleep in hope of finding you/I’ve opened up my heart, I want to come through/I close my eyes, I’m searching for your love.” He continues the conversation with God in “The Other Side,” praying, “Father, can you tell me again that I’m livin’ ’til I meet you on that day on the other side.” In the acoustic ballad “Destiny,” he perplexingly sings that there’s no right or wrong, but then adds that “There’s a magic in my heart that I feel/Don’t you know that God is love and it’s real.” Then there’s “Baptized” (excerpted above), a strong declaration of Kravitz’s need for Jesus in his life—”I would be a fool to let you go/With you I’m reborn, I’m no longer torn/Yeah, I refuse to lose my heart and soul/I have to be strong.”
Mainstream critics are still blind to Kravitz’s beliefs, and that’s perhaps understandable considering his artistic dichotomy. One critic noted that the new album cover finds Kravitz “bathing in some kind of red liquid,” but with an album called Baptism, knowing the rock star’s background, Christians can’t help but note that he seems to be washing in a pool of blood (with his guitar). Determining whether it’s Christ’s blood or merely “some kind of red liquid” will likewise affect your interpretation of Lenny Kravitz and his faith.
Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author’s. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here.
