Mega-Rock Star Guitarist Carlos Santana Reveals How He was Saved from Abuse and Suicide by God's Grace

Aimee Herd : Sep 2, 2011
Patrick Durek – The Plain Truth

"Forgiveness, man, forgiveness is extremely liberating. And I'm here to tell you, with all my heart and spirit, that it can be done. You can be freed." –Carlos Santana

An article in The Plain Truth, written by Patrick S. Durek, chronicles the metamorphosis of acclaimed rock guitarist Carlos Santana, as he—by God's grace—left behind the shame of a childhood filled with abuse and neglect, and moved into the light of relationship with Jesus Christ.

Santana shares openly about growing up in a very dysfunctional family where his father had abandoned him, later returning only to financially support his estranged family.

When Carlos was 10 he was molested repeatedly by a friend's father who bribed him into silence.

Later on, as Carlos' guitar skills began to bring him acclaim and a new band—Santana—as well as marriage, he and his wife Deborah were led astray into the grip of the Indian guru and charlatan Sri Chinmoy.

Finally realizing the oppression they'd entered into, Carlos and Deborah stopped following Chinmoy who later died in 2007.

Carlos gave in to the constant temptation of the road during touring, however, and his marriage did not survive infidelity. He sank into despair and, as he shared in a Rolling Stone interview, he admitted to "seven times when suicide came knocking."

He described going to light a candle (at church) and hearing the accusing voices inside tearing him down, but in the end hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus break through the others reminding him that He was with him, and it brought him renewed "joy."

Durek writes that it was through God's grace that Santana was able to finally forgive his molester and find freedom.

"My God is a God of kindness and compassion, but we as people have free will, including the man who molested me," Carlos said in the Rolling Stone interview. "I was able to remove the anger by forgiving that man…. Forgiveness, man, forgiveness is extremely liberating. And I'm here to tell you, with all my heart and spirit, that it can be done. You can be freed."

According to Durek, Santana is considering retiring from a music profession in the future to become a minister, as he desires to see others set free.

Says Santana, "Duke Ellington, before he died, had the Bible on one hand and sheet music on another, and he was doing sacred concerts. I'm just following the script that is given to me, and after a while you can only do what you do. Then, God calls you to do something else…."

Read the full article at the source link provided.