Interview: Once an Atheist Rock Star, Now a Holy Creative

This is part of our monthly interview series in 2024. Various individuals will share spiritual reflections and insights on their past, present, and future.

For the month of November, I have Levan Wee with me.

Who is Levan Wee?

Levan Wee (@levanwee) was an atheist who experienced fame and academic success before receiving Jesus in his heart and becoming a holy content creator in arts and music.

Because of his albinism, Levan was looked down and bullied in school. So he wanted to prove his worth when he grew up. He went on to become a popular rock star in the band Ronin. Then he left to achieve academic success as a valedictorian in his PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Melbourne.

All this while, he was an atheist who thought Christians were self-righteous and had fake wholesome images. He would do in-depth research to challenge Christians on their beliefs and weaken their faith, even at the cost of a friendship. He would even go into a Christian bookshop or a church service and shout “Satan!” before running off.

Levan lived as an atheist for over 25 years until a series of supernatural encounters with God in August 2020 that made him give his life to God (written/video testimony). The conversion might remind one of how Saul became Paul on Damascus Road.

He now writes at The Meeting Tent and previously at Salt&Light, composes modern Christian songs, and now creates Bible Bento’s videos and content.

He is currently worshipping in Singapore.

The Past

Looking back…

If given a chance to return in time, is there anything you would do differently?

In hindsight, while I achieved worldly successes, I wish I had been kinder, more patient and loving towards others. For many years, I carried a lot of unresolved hurt and pain, which I often projected onto others due to feelings of discrimination and insecurity—but that’s no excuse. I wish I had acted differently.

What are the most memorable lessons or insights you had?

As a cultural anthropologist studying Existential philosophy, I noticed how society tends to push individualism to an unhealthy level. Even when I was an atheist, I felt there had to be more to life than just pursuing self-fulfilment or glorifying ourselves. Chasing money, status, and power just didn’t seem fulfilling. I always felt there was something bigger waiting for us. However, at the time, I had no idea that the answer was simply God—welcoming Him into our lives to guide us.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was to never stop searching for a greater Truth. It’s about looking past the surface and really digging deep to find the meaning of our existence. That journey isn’t always easy or comfortable, but I believe it’s necessary because the need for meaning is part of who we are.

Looking back now, I realize that the constant search for meaning had planted seeds in my heart that eventually led me to cry out to God. I had to reach a point where I realised I didn’t have the answers, only to discover that God Himself is the answer.

Looking back now, is there anything that would make you say, “God has made everything in his time,”or “God works all things good?”

Of Coming to Know Christ

I truly believe that God works all things for good, even when our limited understanding cannot fully grasp what’s happening as things unfold. I believe God allowed certain things in my life that led me to seek Him, even amid my atheism.

Looking back, I see now that I had to go through that period of suffering, self-reflection, and even a sense of purposelessness to reach the point where I realized how important and irreplaceable God is in our lives.  For a long time, I searched for meaning and a deeper sense of purpose but I found nothing – until I encountered Him in August 2020, both physically and spiritually.

That experience changed my life forever and I’m eternally grateful. I was heading entirely in the wrong direction, but by God’s grace alone, He saved me. For that, and so much more, I give my heart to Him. I truly mean it when I say God is good. I wouldn’t be here today if not for Him.

Today, I’m grateful that God has worked everything out in His perfect timing in my life and, even more so, in the lives of those around me—whether they already believe God or are beginning to question and open their hearts to His truth. God’s timing is perfect, and He knows the right moment to reveal Himself to each person so that we can truly appreciate the profound beauty of who He is.

The Bridge from the Past to Present

After my first encounter with God, I prayed for God to send Christians into my life to guide me. Because given my long history of being anti-Christian, they might be sceptical if I approached them directly.

Not long after, I met my friends for dinner and they invited Kyle, a man I’d never met before to join us. During dinner, Kyle suddenly turned to me and said, “Levan, I don’t know why, but I feel God wants me to tell you to sign up for YWAM (Youth With A Mission) school.” I was stunned because I hadn’t told anyone about my prayer. Later that evening, Aunt Lily texted me. She is one of the few Christians in my extended family. She suggested I should go to YWAM school. An hour after the text, my friend Ivy Tex also texted me, saying God prompted her to tell me to go for some training.

Over two hours, three people who didn’t know one another told me the same thing. I knew this had to be from God. So, I signed up for YWAM’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) without knowing much about it. I just trust that God wanted me there. It turned out to be 5.5 months of intense Bible reading, worship, outreach, and more. There was a lot for me to process and it was hard at times but I also witnessed even more signs and wonders that were undeniably from Him. It was a period where my faith truly deepened.

I was jobless after DTS because I had given up all my previous jobs. I asked God to use me in full-time ministry when I felt an impression in my heart. I wrote the words “Salt and Light” on a white sheet of paper and wondered if God was referring to the online ministry that previously interviewed me.

I was not sure if I should pursue it, so I waited. Then one evening, I was prompted to write a Facebook status reflecting on my faith journey. Soon after, a man named Edric Sng messaged me and told me he liked how I wrote it. I didn’t know who he was but as we talked, he revealed that he was the founder of Salt&Light! He asked to meet for coffee and when we met, he offered me a full-time role with Salt&Light—the very opportunity God had put on my heart! I didn’t actively seek the job out, but God had orchestrated it to happen in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.

I worked for Salt&Light for about 2.5 years until God recently asked me to leave to start Bible Bento. I love my time at Salt&Light and love the people there dearly. It was a very special working environment for me—the best job I’ve ever had, with the best people I’ve ever worked with. I’m so grateful to God for the chance to have done full-time ministry there, alongside people who are so passionate about serving the Lord. I’ll always look back fondly on my time there.

The Present

Looking at now…

Are you at a mountaintop, in a valley or plains?

It changes from day to day. I won’t lie—some days feel like lows as I wrestle with understanding God’s will while accepting that my human limitations are making it hard for me to fully comprehend.

But I can honestly say that even on my ‘hardest’ days with God, it’s still better than the ‘best’ days without Him. So, despite the struggles and questions, Jesus has given me peace and a purpose deeper than anything I’ve ever known. Nothing can compare to this. And that is a mountaintop experience for me, even though the journey inevitably has its ups and downs.

Walking with God is an incredible adventure for anyone. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

Thankfully for me, I have my wife beside me on this faith journey. We support and encourage each other to stay strong in our faith and motivate each other to continue reaching out to those around us. It truly helps to have a life partner who believes and actively seeks God because then, there’s a shared understanding and motivation to glorify God’s Kingdom.

In this season, what is God speaking to you about or teaching you?

God is definitely teaching me to let go of my perfectionism. I still wrestle with the urge to create things to be ‘perfect’ or as close as possible to it in my own eyes. Of course, aside from God, true perfection is an illusion. But I am my own harshest critic and often to an unreasonable extent. My mood shifts depending on how good or bad I feel about whatever I’m working on.

Lately, God has been guiding me to slowly let go of that need to be perfect and trust Him more with the creation process. It’s not about achieving ‘perfection’ in what I create, but about focusing on the bigger purpose—to share the Gospel and invite others to experience God’s immense love through the things I created. So I want to keep my heart in tune with God’s will and play my small part in that bigger purpose.

What fruit of the Spirit do you think God is growing in you?

Love through self-control and patience.

Day by day, God humbles me and teaches me to slow down. As I put down my pride with self-control and slow down my steps with patience, I am able to focus more on the people and love them more deeply, which has been incredibly meaningful. I hope that God will keep showing me how to love others better and remain faithful to His love as much as I can.

What is your bible verse of the season?

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:30 (NIV)

The Future

Look forward…

What are your dreams or plans for the future?

I’m currently working on Bible Bento full-time. It uses anime art to illustrate bite-sized and easily digestible Bible stories and lessons, especially to anime fans.

My dream is for Bible Bento to sustain itself financially, so we can also donate to or support other ministries. But beyond that, the heart of Bible Bento is to reach more people personally through the fun and creative aesthetics of anime.

While I have my visions and plans for the ministry, I believe it’s far more important to make space for how God chooses to unfold His plans and work in His way. Thus I hope Bible Bento will be whatever God wishes how it will be, whether big or small. Right now, it has reached parts of Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. I’ve learned so much from the believers in that region.

What’s the next step you feel led to take for these dreams or plans?

Having worked in social media for a while, I’m used to focusing on numbers and growth. But while I hope for expansion, God keeps reminding me to stay focused on showing love to each individual who interacts with us. That’s why we make it a point to message every new subscriber or follower personally. If there’s a chance to deepen those relationships, that would be amazing.

Prayer is such a vital part of that journey. I believe the most important thing is always to pray, as often as possible. That’s exactly what Jesus did throughout the Gospels—He always prayed, and we should follow His example.

Sometimes, as Christians, we make grand plans and set objectives or KPIs on our own, then expect God to approve of them afterwards. But I think the better approach is to overcome our “Martha” tendencies and be more like “Mary”—taking time to listen to what God wants first, discerning His will, and then putting things into action, refining them along the way with His guidance.

So, to put it simply, my next step is to always ask God what the next step should be, before anything else. I know to some, this might sound idealistic or not very practical. But for decades, I tried doing things my way as an atheist—now is the time I want to try to fully commit to doing things God’s way.

I know I’ll stumble along the way, but I hope to honour what God has done in my life through my words and actions. God loves each person dearly, profoundly, and beautifully—and if I can do my small part to help others see that, I will.

Editor’s Note

We thank Levan for sharing his amazing testimonies and showing where sin abounds, grace abounds more. We see the miraculous and supernatural work of God in Levan’s life and how there’s nothing too difficult for God – even the hardened hearts of men. If this post speaks to you,leave a comment or send us a message to encourage Levan as he takes a big faith step with Bible Bento.

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