OPINION:
Denzel Washington, arguably one of the most iconic actors of our era, isn’t too concerned about cancel culture.
In fact, Mr. Washington, 70, told Complex News in a recent interview he’s not worried about what people think about him and has no fear of being canceled by the oftentimes vociferous cultural machine bent on obliterating people guilty of faux pas or simply going against the grain.
“Who cares?” he said. “What made public support so important to begin with?”
For Mr. Washington, an outspoken Christian who has never shied away from sharing his biblical laurels, the Christian faith is the only “system” he truly follows. On the cancel culture front, he said people simply need to take a stand and refuse to be sucked into the chaos.
“You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up,” he added. “Don’t sign up.”
These comments might seem odd or ill-placed for a man whose career has, in many ways, been built upon public perception. Success in Hollywood depends on talent, relationships and fans’ willingness to show up to support films and TV shows.
And Mr. Washington has knocked it out of the park on all three metrics, earning himself two Academy Awards and 10 nominations. Yet his approach to life and fame is fascinating, as he’s not consumed by merits or worldly achievements.
Instead, he seems bent on honoring God and living out biblical values and parameters. In a social media era dominated by collecting fans and “followers,” Mr. Washington isn’t clouded by any of it.
“I don’t care who’s following who,” he said. “You can’t lead and follow at the same time, and you can’t follow and lead at the same time. I don’t follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit. I follow God; I don’t follow man. I have faith in God. I have hope in man, but look around, it ain’t working out so well.”
Mr. Washington isn’t wrong. Man has infamously and incessantly tried to be the arbiter of truth, justice and goodness, many times making a go of it without any appeal to the Almighty. The result of a relativistic and self-centric perspective has been a collective historical narrative dominated by sin, evils and consternation, which clearly continue in our modern era.
Without God as a centerpiece, people attempt to find value in themselves and become consumed by all the wrong things.
As a Hollywood star who has made millions of dollars and become a household name, Mr. Washington recognizes that worldly sentiments aren’t the core of what builds true value and fulfillment.
In a separate interview Mr. Washington did with Jake’s Takes, the “Highest 2 Lowest” star further expounded upon these themes, making it clear that awards and accolades aren’t his aim.
“I don’t do it for Oscars,” he said. “I really don’t care about that kind of stuff. I’ve been at this a long time. There’s times when I won and shouldn’t have won, and shouldn’t have won and won. Man gives the award. God gives the reward.”
Mr. Washington continued, “On my last day, it ain’t gon’ do me a bit of good.”
Many people spend their whole lives chasing dreams and, at all costs, attempting to bring in as much money, fame and prestige as possible. When left unchecked, this becomes a recipe for personal, relational and familial disaster.
Furthermore, the fear of being canceled and expelled from culture has left many too afraid to speak out for fear of losing these earthly gains, even at the expense of basic truths. It’s one of the reasons society has landed itself with so many strange whims and bouts of confusion.
Mr. Washington is suggesting something different here: a reliance upon God first, a following of His standards and a path forward that streams from these ideals.
This, the actor argues, is what builds a good life. It’s not about the cash flow, the political clout and worldly success. Instead, it’s about forming a cemented relationship with God and revering Him over the societal flavors or cancel culture fancies of the day.
Mr. Washington isn’t simply spouting off empty words. The actor has taken steps to live out these proclamations. He was baptized last year and received an official ministry license.
“To God be the glory. Hallelujah!” Washington told The First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ congregation after his baptism. “Anything I can do, I will do for this church, the Almighty. I just want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.”
That’s precisely what seems to be motivating the actor: loving God and serving others. And if one of the most powerful actors of our time — a man with insane levels of fame and fortune — can come to this realization, perhaps it’s time we all start chasing truth.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is the author of four books.
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