{"id":6973,"date":"2022-06-08T09:57:24","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T13:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=6973"},"modified":"2022-06-08T09:57:24","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T13:57:24","slug":"singer-m-i-a-becomes-born-again-christian-after-seeing-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2022\/06\/singer-m-i-a-becomes-born-again-christian-after-seeing-christ.html","title":{"rendered":"Singer M.I.A. Becomes Born-Again Christian After Seeing Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Popular mainstream artist M.I.A. says she became a born-again Christian after having a vision of Jesus Christ, and it\u2019s something she\u2019s proud of, even if it may cost her her career.<\/p>\n

In a conversation with\u00a0Zane Lowe on Apple Music,\u00a0M.I.A., born Mathangi \u201cMaya\u201d Arulpragasam, revealed that a vision of Jesus Christ in 2017 turned her world upside down.<\/p>\n

The vision of Jesus convinced the \u201cPaper Planes\u201d singer to become a Christian despite years of pushing back against tradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, my head has been in a totally different place. Being a Tamil and being a Hindu, I was very comfortable that I\u2019d arrived finding myself. Which is, I think, going to be weird for America to process,\u201d she told Lowe of her divine vision. \u201cBut I had a vision, and I saw the vision of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very creatively a crazy thing because it turned my world upside down,\u201d she continued. \u201cBecause everything I thought and believed was no longer the case. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2006, M.I.A. was banned from entering the U.S.\u00a0for a time due to her controversial lyrics and her alleged support for a Sri Lankan guerrilla group called the Tamil Tigers. In the U.S., the group is regarded as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n

\"MIA\"<\/a>
Christopher Polk\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She revealed on the Apple podcast that before her vision, she found the concept of Christianity to be \u201cbasic.\u201d Lowe then interjected, asking her if she is a \u201cborn-again Christian now.\u201d The artist responded, \u201cYes, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in London and of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, M.I.A. was raised Hindu. She has advocated for refugees and Palestinians living in Israel\u2019s West Bank throughout her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to lie. Then when I had this vision, it turned my world upside down. I kind of couldn\u2019t let go of the Tamil side,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n

M.I.A is gearing up to release a new album titled\u00a0MATA<\/em>\u00a0via her new label, Island Records. Her first single, \u201cThe One,\u201d is now streaming. She noted that half of the record is still influenced by her upbringing. However, her messaging will be informed by her Christian faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still me. That\u2019s still my language. And those are still my tools to be able to create beats like that or a sound like that,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut I think the message was just to get to a peaceful place. Watch the space. The history is, even if it costs me my career, I won\u2019t lie. I will tell the truth, and I will tell you what\u2019s on my mind and my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m coming back now saying \u2018Jesus is real,\u2019 there\u2019s a point,\u201d the singer declared.\u00a0\u201cBasically, all of my fans might turn against me because they are all progressives who hate people that believe in Jesus Christ in this country,\u201d she added. Hopefully, M.I.A will continue to be successful in her career after her recent revelation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Popular mainstream artist M.I.A. says she became a born-again Christian after having a vision of Jesus Christ, and it\u2019s something she\u2019s proud of, even if it may cost her her career. In a conversation with\u00a0Zane Lowe on Apple Music,\u00a0M.I.A., born Mathangi \u201cMaya\u201d Arulpragasam, revealed that a vision of Jesus Christ in 2017 turned her world…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":657,"featured_media":6982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[997,111],"tags":[136,1732],"class_list":["post-6973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-encounter-with-god","category-entertainment","tag-jesus","tag-m-i-a"],"yoast_head":"\nSinger M.I.A. 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