5&2

During covid, a crowd funded television program called The Chosen was released. Currently two seasons have been filmed and the third season is in development. The plot is centered around the story of Jesus in the Bible. A team of experts are used to make sure that the dialogue has no conflict with the Written Word. Dallas Jenkins, the founder, and director, clearly states that creative liberty has been taken to develop characters and dialogue. Historical fiction is an effective way to describe the episodes, claiming to not know all the perfect details but intentionally honoring the Bible and the Truth.

This series is accomplishing what other movies about Jesus have not been able to develop, the humanity of Jesus Christ while He is calling and then teaching his human minded disciples. The Passion and other wonderful representations reveal the Divinity of Jesus but because of time constraints they are unable to reveal much of His humanity. This show feels vastly different. As the characters unfold, a new reality comes into focus. The fact that disciples were human beings, sinful in nature, flawed in character, working with their own false narratives, collaborating with each other while experiencing so much misunderstanding and lacking wisdom when seeking their own ideas as to how to be of value to this Human who has revealed himself as the savior they have been waiting for.

Relationship is key. All valued, all needed, all loved for the differences they bring.

Christians have not been an authentic representation of what Jesus came to reveal. Power, hypocrisy, sexual misconduct, assault, discrimination, exclusion, and lies are the sinful nature in which we live. The world, in its brokenness, is in the church, we must recognize this to wholeheartedly follow God and help people know of his Love and Mercy. As The Chosen suggests…Sometimes you need to stir up the water…and … there will be trouble… The series is showing that Jesus came to flip things upside down. He came for transformation. It’s taking us a long time to embrace this message and apply it to the way we live, and the way we treat others. The Chosen is successfully opening our eyes to that calling.

Last Tuesday my husband and I went to Texas to participate as part of “the background”, in the filming of the feeding of the 5000. In record setting heat, 10,000 (2 days) extras paid their own expenses in traveling, passed their covid tests, brought their own costumes and actively supported the message of the Gospel. To describe the location of the set is not easy. Massive crowds needing transportation, food, accommodations, and care during extreme heat, with covid sneaking back into the dialogue, the task felt overwhelming and yet the outward signs of stress were not evident. It was like we were on an island, a safe place, where kids ran free, belongings could be left unattended, people taking care of each other when a health crisis arose (of which there were many), no concern of food or water (they were generously provided) and although they were a few comments about the heat, I heard very little complaining. Community, relationship, cooperation, compassion, mercy, grace, and love were all abound. It felt like we could have been back in the presence of Jesus ministry.

Upon returning to our air-conditioned, clean, multiple-food option hotel, I was exhausted. I took a seat in the lobby. A friendly woman approached and inquired about my day. Thrilled to be able to share with someone the joyful experience I had encountered, I began groggily to put into words my experience. Something very quickly changed. The next thing I knew I felt very confused and was trying to flee from this woman. Using scripture as a weapon she was aggressively promoting the teachings of her faith space. She followed me onto the elevator confronting me, calling me ignorant among other accusations. As I quickly removed myself from the elevator, grateful she was not going to follow me to my room… all I could think to say was… you are one of the reasons Christians are getting a bad name. That isn’t what my brain wanted to say…&#%!@...luckliy the swear words did not escape from my mouth.

The next day I ran into a new friend who had also attended the filming, and I shared my unnerving experience with the stranger in the lobby. Suddenly she asked me to describe the woman, of which I did, and her eyes grew big. Seems that she had encountered the same woman but in a different context. A woman who matched the description I gave, arrived at the bar in her nightgown. She was cussing up a storm, aggressively engaging with men at the bar and although she did not use scripture, her demeanor aligned with the one I described. My new friend said it made her so nauseous that she returned to her room earlier than she had planned.

We were off the island, back into the real world. One filled with broken people. Ones who claim to know Jesus, but their actions say otherwise. In all honestly, we all are guilty. That night I reflected upon my own actions. Had I done something like that to others? Probably, when I was a new student, or when I was in grief, when my pride was sitting high or perhaps when my personal pain was consuming me.

Hearing the rest of the story, revealed the messiness, the brokenness, the suffering. At one moment I was upset with her because of her verbal assault upon me. Later another friend put it this way, “hurt people hurt people… She is being abused by the sin she finds within herself.” My eyes were opened to a larger picture.

I was one way and then I was another and the difference was Him.

As I continue to process that day in Texas, I yearn to increase my knowledge and understanding of what Jesus came to ask us to do. He wants us to forgive, to show mercy, to live in community and to love one another.

I am not to call down thunder or pull out my weapon.

I am asked to get used to different and go against the current.

I am not asked to feed the 5000.

I am asked to bring the loaves (The fish heads smelled rancid…hoping another brave soul will bring them)

Then maybe, just maybe others will “Come and See” what The Chosen is all about. Everyone needs to know.