NOW

Wherever you work, you have an opportunity to glorify God not only in your overall work product, but in your attitude toward it and your reliance on Him. Colossians 3 reminds us:
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

For quite some time, Denzel Washington has been known not only as an excellent actor, but someone who has been outspoken about his faith in God.  Franklin Graham recently posted on Facebook:

I want to congratulate Denzel Washington on taking the step of baptism this past weekend. I appreciate his not being afraid to take a public stand for his faith.

He linked to a piece at The Guardian that related:

Denzel Washington has become a minister after being baptised shortly before his 70th birthday, in a ceremony at a church in New York.

He was baptized at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem in New York City. The article goes on to say: 

The service was livestreamed on Facebook, showing Washington, wearing a white robe, being immersed in the church’s ritual pool and being presented with a certificate of baptism.

Mentioning he was about to turn 70 on 28 December, Washington told the congregation: “It took a while, but I’m here.” He also spoke about an incident when he was 20 in which he encountered a woman called Ruth Green in his mother’s beauty parlour, who told him: “Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.”

The article referenced an article in Esquire magazine, in which Washington is quoted as saying, regarding talking about his faith:

“You can’t talk like that and win Oscars. You can’t talk like that and party. You can’t say that in this town … It’s not talked about in this town. It’s not talked about … It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe.”

The article goes on to say that "Later in the ceremony, Washington was given a minister’s licence by the church, which would enable Washington to officiate at minor religious services, such as weddings, and allow him to be ordained in the future."

Denzel Washington has been devoted to his faith, and has been known for speaking out on the subject.  He told Reader's Digest: "I read the Bible every day. I’m in my second pass-through now, in the Book of John. My pastor told me to start with the New Testament, so I did, maybe two years ago. Worked my way through it, then through the Old Testament. Now I’m back in the New Testament. It’s better the second time around."

A CBN.com article about the baptism related: 

As CBN News has reported, Washington has become outspoken about his Christian faith over the last several years.

He previously shared that he gave his life to God several times early in life. He even had a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit, but it took a while before he understood the weight of his decision.

So, what's next for Denzel?  There is evidence that the 70-year old actor has become more reflective on spiritual matters, so he took this step.  Why now, you might ask?  I would say, why not now?

And that's a good question for us in 2025, as we enter the new year, as we take an opportunity to reset. Scripture teaches us to put off the old and put on the new, but we should not put off decisions that we need to make, actions we should implement that God is calling us to.  The Bible says that NOW is the day of salvation.  So, what can we do now in order to be obedient to God?  

So, kudos to Denzel Washington for this bold step; we can be reminded that, ministry license or not, we are all called to do the work of the ministry; we are all ministers of reconciliation. As believers in the Lord, we have a calling to fulfill, and God gives us the strength to do it.