“The Lord will never turn His face from you if you return to Him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 30:9
Reality TV viewers are likely
familiar with Katherine von Drachenberg, better known as “Kat Von D,” the
black-lipsticked Queen of Goth, whose work as a tattoo artist, kept her in the
pop culture headlines for decades.
A defiant child, Von D ran away
from home at age 14, rebelling against her strict Seventh-Day Adventist roots. Influenced
by the punk rock culture, she ‘made her bones’ by creating and giving signature
tattoos. Her eclectic, ghoulish, unorthodox work caught the eye of reality TV
producers.
By the time she was cast in TLCs
“Miami Ink” in her early 20s, she’d inked her entire body. Von D, by her
own admission, was also a “full-blown alcoholic” with a “growing cocaine addiction.”
The Mexican-American creative
got wrapped up in some dangerous and morbid circles, embracing witchcraft and
the occult in her early years. “My delve into non-Christian spirituality wasn’t
helping,” she confessed, comparing it to "short-lived band-aids on a
sinking ship."
So, in the summer of 2022, the
artist revealed she was refocusing her life and giving up the “wickedness.”
Writing on Instagram to her millions of followers, she featured a photograph
displaying witchcraft books and tarot cards, describing them as
"crutches."
Followers were left wondering.
Others hoped the influencer was turning away from the dark and into the light. There
was no shortage of speculation but no specificity suggesting what journey Von
D was pursuing.
Until October 3, 2023.
Communicating again on Instagram,
the now-sober, $200/hour tattooist shared a video of her baptism at a Baptist church
in Vevay, Indiana, her current hometown. Wearing a white robe, Drachenberg was
then fully immersed in water and came up smiling.
Her conversion made worldwide headlines.
And while it might be something of a foreign concept to many in secular
spheres, spiritual transformation is as big as it gets in our culture.
Critics accused her of
"faking" the ceremony as a PR stunt. But it wasn’t her longtime fans
that were the most cruel and close-minded! She was most surprised by the
judgmental comments made by Christians.
“It was a symbolic, public
apology to my followers. For so many years, I’ve been putting out a certain
message that makes me sad I was ever even a part of," she explained.
Kat’s baptism reminds us that
many celebrities are not playing a fixed role. Transformation is not necessarily
something we pray for - but it’s a prayer that God will answer. We know
that before Paul was the great evangelist, he was Saul, a Christian oppressor.
God can take the worst and make
it the best. May the Lord give Katherine strength and continue to surround her
with strong Christians who can disciple and help deepen her faith in Him.
Mighty God, thank you for the precious gift
of baptism, that we can publicly declare our love and passion for You. Set Kat
free from original sin, make her a temple of Your glory and send the Holy
Spirit to dwell with her. Amen
