How a Rock Band and a Classic Author Restored My Faith

My name is Justin Wiggins. I am a writer with Christianity.com and an author who works and lives in the primitive, majestic, beautiful mountains of North Carolina. I am also a Christian, and this is the story of how that came to be.

Although I was thankful to be raised in the church and to be taught the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, I found myself at odds with the fundamentalist culture in which I grew up. I struggled with a lot of existential doubt and questions about different worldview perspectives, human consciousness, love, art, and suffering. I was appalled by how the fundamentalist culture discouraged asking questions. I decided not to believe in a particular worldview because I was taught it. I was also quite lonely, and I didn't have many friends. I struggled with depression. I was searching for meaning and purpose. That, combined with father abandonment struggles, was incredibly painful. However, things took a much better turn when I discovered the rock band Switchfoot from San Diego, California. I resonated with their music. I loved how there was no sacred or secular either/or schism in their approach to art, faith and daily life. 

I loved how the band members in Switchfoot were honest about their doubts, and their faith in Christ, and I enjoyed listening to interviews with the band members that I would read online. They referenced the writer C.S. Lewis, and I was not familiar with Lewis. I began reading his works, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, Surprised by Joy, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, The Space Trilogy, Till We Have Faces, and others. I resonated with Lewis's spiritual journey at this point in my life. Although I found other worldviews interesting, I found no one more compelling than Jesus of Nazareth and my life was transformed by the agape love of Christ. Through coming to know Christ I found my voice as a writer.

I came to have an incredible artistic community. I had opportunities to write books because of two incredible small publishers in the UK and found affordable ways to go to Ireland, Scotland, and England. My life had joy, meaning, and purpose. A particular verse that comes to mind that reminds me of my journey is John 11:25, where Christ says, "I am the resurrection and the life," and I relate to that because Christ brought hope and joy and meaning to me at a time in my life where I was very depressed and I was struggling. I am thankful for the hope and meaning that Christ has brought to my life because of his agape love. Anyhow, be blessed.

Be sure to visit Christianity.com regularly and remember God is not finished with our story yet. Amen.

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