Jesus Was a Country Boy: Life Lessons on Faith, Fishing, and Forgiveness

Popular country music superstar Clay Walker talks about Jesus and the simple, grassroots faith that He inspired.

Clay Walker's hit single “Jesus Was a Country Boy” resonated with people fed up with slick preachers driving luxury cars and church sanctuaries as big as football fields. That’s not what Jesus was all about. Like the country boy next door, Jesus modeled a grassroots faith. He was born in a barn and fished for his dinner. He hung out with lowlifes and sinners. He came not for the rich and powerful, but for the good old boys and country gals.

Drawing from his own humble beginnings, Clay explores the ways Jesus spoke to good old-fashioned country folk: Jesus knew where he came from and he knew where he was going. He knew how to treat people, but he wasn’t afraid of a fight. He knew how to have a good time, and he loved to surprise people. And, like any good country boy, he knew about heartbreak. Ultimately, Jesus came to love and show that knowing His father is as free and easy as a summer breeze on a front-porch swing. If you want to find God, then it’s time to lose religion and meet a country boy from Bethlehem.

Clay Walker is a popular country music star. He made his debut in 1993 with the single “What’s It to You,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. His first four studio albums all achieved platinum certification in the United States, and his greatest hits collection and fifth studio album were each certified gold. In addition, he has charted thirty singles on the country charts, including four more #1 hits, for a total of six. In the midst of his success, Walker went public with his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1996 and founded a nonprofit foundation (Band Against MS) to fund MS research and education. The foundation has raised more than $2 million to fight MS. In 2008, he received a Humanitarian Award for his charitable efforts.