TV host Bear Grylls tells tale of ‘true adventure’ through faith

Throughout his many televised wilderness exploits in some of the most precarious corners of the earth, Bear Grylls said his ultimate adventure has been his faith in Christ and wherever it takes him. As the featured speaker for Wednesday morning’s Convocation in the Vines Center, Grylls told Liberty University students his faith has sustained him through many peaks and valleys.

Grylls is a British adventurer, writer, and Emmy Award-winning television host of popular wilderness survival shows like “Man vs. Wild” and “Running Wild with Bear Grylls.” A former member of the British Special Air Service and the youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at the age of 35, Grylls has made a career out of ambitious adventure in the outdoors.

In introducing him, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell quipped, “There’s no question that there is no more recognizable face on the planet for adventure, and some would say craziness, than Bear Grylls.”

Prior to sitting down for an on-stage interview with Falwell and Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge, Grylls spoke directly to students about the roles that adventure and faith play in his life. He recalled some wise words from a superior as a young soldier in the SAS: have faith in yourself, faith in each other, and faith in the Almighty. In the military, in the wild, and in his personal life, Grylls said his faith has sustained him.

“It is the universal truth that we will all face our time of testing — our Everest, if you like,” he said. “Whether it’s an actual mountain, maybe a tough home life, maybe a tough time at work, maybe we lose someone close to us … life tests us at some point and our Everests always come. People often ask me, ‘What has helped you in so many deserts and jungles and tough places?’ The truth for me is found in that one word: faith. I’ve learned that on our own we’re pretty weak, but connected to something bigger than us, (we) become stronger.”

“My faith helps me in so many ways, in so many moments,” he added. “(I’ve been) stuck in quicksand, pinned in rapids, caught in rock falls or avalanches, and (had) parachute failures. In the good times and in the less good times, I’ve learned to lean on the beautiful presence of Christ within me, within all of us. (It is) empowering, quiet, always there, and it has never let me down.”

Grylls said faith does not make everything easy, as it is often tested on our journeys through life. He quoted words he once saw carved into a wooden cross in a small chapel.

“The cross said, ‘Christ beside me, Christ within me, Christ to shield, and Christ to win me,’’’ he recalled. “Beautiful words, humble words, words that have helped me to be ready for life and ready for adventure. I’ve come to realize that having the Almighty inside of us is the starting point of all true adventure.”

Grylls called his faith and his family his “real pride and wealth” as opposed to his famed media career. He said he grew up attending a formal private school with chapel services in Latin, where he felt a cold distance from God. His faith wasn’t truly ignited until the age of 16, when he felt the raw emotions after the sudden passing of his godfather.

“I remember as a teenager, on my own, going down (to) the garden and sitting under a tree, and saying, ‘God, if you’re real, please be with me.’ Nothing dramatic happened, no bolt of lightning … but from that moment the fire was lit, and it’s never gone out. It’s been the empowering presence through so much, through so many adventures.”

He used to tuck a laminated paper with Matthew 28:20 into his boots on his worldwide escapades, which read, “Be sure of this, that I am with you, even to the ends of the earth.”

In his faith journey, he said he has realized how exciting and striking Christ’s life, death, and resurrection truly are — a revelation he did not have during his strict upbringing. Last year, Grylls was motivated to write a book, “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” about the story of Christ through the eyewitnesses. The book has sold 20 million copies since releasing in July. Grylls held a book signing in the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the afternoon.

“The story of Christ, as so many of you guys know, is the most radical, revolutionary, beautiful, and powerful story that affects all of us,” he said. “This came to me strongly last year: write the story of Christ (in a way that is) super short, punchy, theologically 100% accurate, and write it as a thriller. So many people know stories about faith — like the nativity or crucifixion or The Good Samaritan — but if you look at the (full) real story, it is incredible.”

In the final minutes of Convocation, Grylls answered submitted questions from Liberty students about his shows, such as how his camera crew keeps up with him on treacherous terrain (he called them “incredible”), favorite episodes with celebrities (he said former NFL runningback Marshawn Lynch’s personality was fun to have on the show), and the grossest thing he’s eaten in the wilderness (parts of a skunk).