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Jim Caviezel Tells Liberty University Students: ‘You’re Here for a Reason’

Jim Caviezel Tells Liberty University Students: ‘You’re Here for a Reason’

Jim Caviezel, who is most well-known for playing Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, visited Liberty University this week for the school’s convocation and talked about his faith while promoting the upcoming movie, Paul, Apostle of Christ, in which he plays Luke.

The conversation focused on how Caviezel has gone out of his way to make sure that his faith would be prominent in his career. He asked students to try to do the same throughout their lives and their careers.

He talked about God calling him to be an actor at 19, saying:

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I felt this love that I had never felt before, this peace I never felt before. I heard God say, ‘I’d like you be an actor.’ … I did not know where to go. I had a call to be an actor, but it was going to take Him to teach me and bring me to the right teachers, the right films to do.

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Shortly after that, he got a call to meet Mel Gibson about the role of Jesus.

“(Mel told me), ‘If you take this part (of Jesus), you may not work in this town again,’” Caviezel said. “I felt fear come into me. That’s one thing about our faith. When that (fear) happens, that’s not Jesus.”

He continued: “I said, ‘My initials are J.C., and I’m 33 years old.’ (Mel said), ‘You’re freaking me out,’ and he hung up the phone.”

Talking more generally, Caviezel told the students that God had a role and a plan for each person.

“God is going to put you in different places in your life. The world is going to look to you for hope, and you’re going to suffer for it. You’re going to be given a power and an opportunity. You’re here for a reason. Jesus said, ‘If they persecute you, know they persecuted Me first.’”

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