Bear Grylls Baptized in Jordan River: ‘It Had Always Been a Dream of Mine’
Survivalist and author Bear Grylls was baptized in the Jordan River, in a photo posted on October 2, 2023. (Photo via Bear Grylls OBE on X)
Survivalist and author Bear Grylls got baptized in the Jordan River, he posted on social media.
“It had always been a dream of mine to get in the water that Jesus was baptized in by my hero John the Baptist,” the 49-year-old shared on X, formerly Twitter.
Grylls posted a photo of the moment on Oct. 9 and added that the story of Jesus’ baptism is “amazing.”
“It seems wherever Jesus went, that new birth, new life, a new vision followed,” Grylls wrote. He further explained that Jesus’ story, as told by Luke, is “a reliable, poignant account.” The Book of Luke is known for its detailed retelling of Jesus’ life by the physician Luke.
Grylls has often been publicly open about his faith. In 2019, he released a daily devotional titled “Soul Fuel,” which shares how his faith gave him the purpose and power to carry on through many of his survivalist expeditions. The book’s description says that it explores themes of hope, courage, risk, heaven and more.
“Remember this,” it starts. “You have a light within you, the Holy Spirit, and wherever you go, you will bring a light greater than the darkness around you.”
Earlier this year, Grylls interviewed with the Christian Post about his faith and remarked, “I think Jesus would really struggle with 99% of churches nowadays.
“Our job in life is to stay close to Christ and drop the religious, drop the fluff, drop the church if you need to because that means so many different things to different people anyway,” he explained. “Keep the bit of church which is about community and friends and honesty and faith and love. All the masks, performances, music, and worship bands and all of that sort of stuff — I don’t think Christ would recognize a lot of that.”
Christians should instead prioritize a personal relationship with God over religious rituals, he said.
In 2021, he shared with The Guardian that it took him a while to be public about his faith. “For me, faith is not very churchy. It’s not very religious. It’s just a sense that I really believe there’s something out there. That we’re loved,” he said. “We’re given a light and strength to live life. For me, Christ has been a quiet empowering daily presence to tackle life with that sort of light inside me.”
Along with this, Grylls serves as an ambassador for the Alpha Course, which is an evangelistic course that introduces people to the Christian faith through a series of discussions.
The British adventurer is known globally for his survival escapades and outdoor explorations. A former member of the British Special Forces, at age 23 Grylls summited Mount Everest just 18 months after breaking his back in a parachuting accident.
Grylls has also been featured on several television shows. He is best known for starring in Discovery Channel’s “Man vs. Wild” TV series, which reached an estimated 1.2 billion viewers, according to his website. Additionally, he hosted the series “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” which has featured celebrities such as former President Barack Obama, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum and Kate Winslet, among others.
This story is republished from The Roys Report.
Liz Lykins is a writer, editor and communications specialist.