I'm Choosing The Chosen
As an English major and semi-(or pseudo) literary type, I can be pretty critical of movies and tv shows if they are not written well. I can occasionally watch a Hallmark movie or a faith-based (evangelical Christian) movie, but I’m probably going to be rolling my eyes at some of the dialogue and the predictability of the plot. I assumed I would feel this way about The Chosen, a recent tv series, so I was slow to jump on the bandwagon to watch this one.
But I was wrong. This series is far better than anything I’ve seen in years. I started watching it recently and found many of the scenes moving, leaving me in tears at times, even though I already know the basic story. The series revolves around the followers of Jesus, the people he chose to be his disciples, and the writers have given them all backstories. These stories are fictionalized, but they are true to the culture and the characters of the followers as written in the scriptures. The show’s writers have given a lot of thought to the background of each character, and there is much for us, the audience, to identify with. Some characters come from a background of trauma, some are unethical and in trouble with the law, one is on the autism spectrum, some are disabled, some are conflicted about their religious beliefs.
The only thing these characters have in common is their strong attraction to Jesus. He is fascinating, enigmatic, challenging, compassionate, iconoclastic, and powerful. There’s a story in John 7 that captures this quality so succinctly and comically. The Pharisees have had it with Jesus. They are furious and disgusted, so they send some temple guards to arrest him. Verse 45 says, “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why didn’t you bring him in?’ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared. ‘You mean he has deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted. “
The temple guards were so thrown off balance by the words and presence of Jesus that they couldn’t even do their jobs. That’s the effect the presence of the Jesus character has in The Chosen series. He’s not on screen often. The story is about the followers. But when Jesus IS there, it’s moving, poignant, and inspiring. So give it a try if you haven’t yet. The first episode is not so captivating until the final scene, when Jesus shows up, so you have to stick with it for a couple of episodes. Successive episodes become more engaging. If you want to watch with me on Sunday nights, just DM me and we will get together.
