Justin Bieber shared a message about his great passion over the weekend — and no, we don’t mean that he was begging Selena to take him back.
He shared a religious message about Easter being a Christian holiday and how people need to look past its secular symbols.
And then followed it up with a curiously contradictory photo-shoot.
This (former?) singer wants to remind his fans and followers that Easter is, first and foremost, about Jesus.
Justin Bieber has always been a Christian, but in recent years, he’s really tied his brand to his religious identity.
Last July, he even canceled his tour because he felt that God wanted him to.
He has become very involved with Hillsong Church, a global megachurch that goes to extra lengths to cater to celebrities.
(Other celebrities involved with Hillsong include Selena Gomez and various Kardashians, including Kourtney and Kendall)
So it’s no surprise that he posted this:
“Jesus has changed my life,” Bieber writes.
And he wants to make sure that fans understand the true meaning behind this holiday.
“Easter is not about a bunny, it’s a reminder that my Jesus died on the cross for my sins and then rose from the dead defeating death!”
He affirms his belief in this event.
“I believe this happened and it changes everything!”
The belief in Jesus’ resurrection is widely considered to be a core tenet of Christianity.
It’s worth noting that it’s not uncommon for secular or other non-Christian households to celebrate a version of Easter, largely because the holiday is so ubiquitous in the United States.
(Also … everybody likes some kind of candy or another)
It seems that the Biebs had a sudden change of heart, however.
Alongside this goofy photo, he wrote a caption:
“Remember when i said easter isn’t about bunnies … well I lied.”
He is holding a stuffed bunny and is wearing bunny glasses, complete with bunny whiskers below his nose.
It sounds like the less theological side of the Easter spirit caught up with him.
The Easter bunny is not, in fact, a universal symbol of Easter, but it is very popular in the United States, serving as an analogue to Santa Claus.
For example, in Australia — where rabbits are an invasive species that wreaks havoc on their ecosystem — children celebrate with images of the Easter Bilby.
But by adopting this bunny guise, it looks like Justin Bieber is reminding his fans and followers that it is absolutely possible to enjoy the theological aspects of a religious holiday while also, you know, having fun.
One wonders if a family member or perhaps someone from the Hillsong Church advised him to relax a little and enjoy all aspects of the holiday.
For a guy who was just recently reported to be lamenting that he can’t live without Selena Gomez, it looks like Justin’s getting adjusted to his life after going on this break.
And that’s great.
Holidays are for spending time with family and friends.
Easter, if you’re religious, is a time when people go to church. It does, after all, always fall on a Sunday.
Whether you’re a Christian or not, however, you can enjoy delicious Easter candies like Peeps or candy eggs or chocolate.
We hope that the Biebs enjoyed doing both of those things.
