Comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum Rob Schneider recently discussed how his faith has transformed his life, especially on expressing forgiveness.
During a recent interview with CBN News, Schneider spoke about re-embracing the faith he previously had as a teenager.
“Jesus only lets you stray so much,” he said. “At a certain point, He grabbed me again and hugged me.”
Schneider, who stars in a new Bentkey cartoon, “Chip Chilla,” explained that there is a true goodness in Christianity.
“There are other religions out there that say, ‘Well, kill your enemy; hate your enemy,'” Schneider said. “And we have a religion that says, ‘Love your enemy, love thy neighbor as thyself… love others.’ What a beautiful way to go through life.”
He also spoke about a now-viral post from November, when he apologized for being resentful at other people, particularly during how fellow performers handled issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There were people that angered me,” Schneider said, referencing where celebrities staunch views regarding vaccinations and other issues.
“I had to dig underneath what’s that anger.”
The actor also had to question where he had forgiveness in his heart, adding that he cannot always “interpret what other people are feeling.”
Understanding the fear people had during the pandemic, Schneider has a lesser than harsh tone when it comes to criticisms of fellow celebrities.
“If I am going to lead my life and be an example, as Christ compels us to do, then I have to do it,” Schneider continued. “Even if it hurts, even if it stretches how I used to feel… and, once you forgive, the beautiful thing about forgiveness is… you end up feeling better.”
Despite following Christ as a teenager, and having “dreams of Christ”, Schneider shared that he drifted from the faith.
“I did — like many Christians do — stray,” Schneider said. “But there was a continuing pull back, knowing where I needed to be and to be home.”
“And then [a] very, very strange confluence of things. I married a Catholic, and she was very patient with me, and she’s been the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” he added.
Other factors, including the Shroud of Turin and other incidents helped Schneider be more grounded in his faith.
“As Jesus does, He’s a little nudge, a little nudge, a little nudge,” he said. “God could put His hand down and make everybody [love Him], but God wants us to come to Him of our own volition. That is the greatest gift.”
Image credit: ©Instagram/@iamrobschneider/
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
