Singer M.I.A. recently disclosed she became a Christian after seeing a vision of Jesus — and she’s not concerned about how these revelations might impact her career.
The rapper and performer, whose real name is Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, told Zane Lowe of Apple Music the vision unfolded in 2017 and it totally transformed her life, according to The Christian Post.
In fact, it convinced Arulpragasam, who was raised Hindu, to embrace the Bible.
“Since then, my head has been in a totally different place. Being a Tamil and being a Hindu, I was very comfortable that I’d arrived finding myself,” she said. “Which is, I think, going to be weird for America to process. But I had a vision, and I saw the vision of Jesus Christ.”
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Before the vision, Arulpragasam wasn’t swayed by the Christian faith or biblical worldview. But she said the experience “turned [her] world upside down” and has profoundly impacted her.
“Everything I thought and believed was no longer the case,” she said. “And I think that was maybe a sign that something major was going to happen in the world and that people were needing to be introduced to this concept.”
Arulpragasam said she knows her decision to allow her faith to influence her music could impact her career, but she doesn’t seem very concerned about it and said she must be authentic.
“If I’m coming back now saying ‘Jesus is real,’ there’s a point,” she said. “All of my fans might turn against me, because they are all progressives who hate people that believe in Jesus Christ in this country.”
It should be noted that Arulpragasam has sparked controversy in the past due to her support for Palestine and other groups and causes, including past support for Tamil Tiger guerrillas. The controversy surrounding M.I.A. was so intense her travel ability to the U.S. at one point was reportedly suspended.
Pray for Arulpragasam as she continues to embark on her new faith journey.
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