Jamie Foxx Unpacks His Childhood Faith And Heart For The Church
By Allyson Vannatta, Staff Writer
JUST MERCY actor Jamie Foxx opened up at a press conference with The Christian Post about his faith and his vision to have all people worshipping God together.
Foxx grew up going to church on Sundays, and a few other days of the week. In his hometown in Texas, this was just a way of life.
“I grew up in church. I mean, church, every single day. Church, church, church, church,” said the award-winning actor.
However, he found that the people he worshipped with on Sundays didn’t exactly treat him the same way when they walked out the doors after the service.
“What I found odd though, the people that went to church treated me bad when I would go on the other side of the tracks,” he said.
“In my mind, I thought, ‘Yo, something is off. ‘Cause if there is a Heaven, I ain’t hanging out with them,” Foxx said.
Foxx said his grandmother, a strong Christian woman, taught him the importance of memorizing the books of the Bible and treating others how you want to be treated.
“My grandmother, who raised our city, made sure I understood the books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, etc.” He continued, “[and] she explained [to me] the umbrella of Christianity.”
The idea of the umbrella of Christianity is something Foxx dreams will bring people of all backgrounds together to worship the Lord in one place.
“I’ve always had this vision, and I’ve done it in certain things where I have people come to my house and we have church at my house, not shown on television or anything like that. But my idea is that at a certain point, black church, white church, Hispanic, everybody goes to church together,” he said.
However, Foxx seems to recognize that the world is broken, which unfortunately can divide even people of faith.
“I think when that very religion, which is supposed to take us to a beautiful place, becomes a tool to divide, that’s where you leave people sort of [disillusioned],” he said.
Foxx describes how new generations don’t embrace Christianity as easily as past generations have because of the “us versus them” attitude some Christians promote.
“My daughter had a hard time wrapping her mind around religion,” he said. “When she was like 13, 14, she said, ‘Dad, all you guys talk about is who’s different and who isn’t. We don’t want to do that.’ So I appreciate the young millennial who has a different mindset and is still attached to their faith, because that’s what we need. It needs to be integrated.”
Foxx’s latest movie contains many noteworthy themes of faith and mercy. According to the Movieguide review:
JUST MERCY also has a strong Christian, moral worldview. Characters read the Bible, go to church, sing hymns, and say prayers for each other. A side character who’s been fighting his death sentence for murder wishes to hear his favorite hymn before he’s executed. Also, his last words are that he harbors no ill will.
For the full review, click here.
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