Eveline

At 68 years old, I've always considered myself a good person, but I never really followed my Catholic faith. When I got engaged to a Jewish man, he insisted that I convert if we were to get married. Tearfully, I agreed and raised our four children in the Jewish faith, feeling like I had betrayed God and turned my back on Jesus. Eventually, the marriage ended and I returned to my faith, but I hadn't been to confession in years. I tried to be better, but my relationship with Jesus felt distant. The movies I had seen about him portrayed him as constantly reverent, which didn't feel realistic. One day, while I was home sick, I decided to watch some TV. The Chosen caught my eye, so I started binge-watching the episodes. The moment I saw Peter drop to his knees, crying out to Jesus, "Depart from me. You don't know what I've done," it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was as if my entire life flashed before my eyes, and I saw every hurt I had caused others through my thoughts, words, and actions. It was a wake-up call like no other. I couldn't get enough of the episodes and I've watched them countless times, always finding a new message each time. I couldn't stop talking about the series either. I started sharing DVD sets of seasons 1, 2, and 3 with places I thought could benefit from them, like our local prison, the veteran's home, a home for victims of domestic abuse, the Methodist outreach center, and even our local library. One of the best moments was when two young men from the Latter Day Saints came to my door to share their beliefs, but I ended up talking about The Chosen instead. They left with the DVDs, and they seemed really excited about it! Now, I'm on my church's Parish Council, and we've started showing an episode of The Chosen once a week, followed by a discussion. I've also made it a habit to set aside time in the morning and at bedtime to talk to God and thank Him for everything He has done for me. I was truly a lost sheep, but I am so grateful for The Chosen. Jonathan Roumie's portrayal of Jesus opened my heart and soul, allowing me to move forward in my faith with hope and love.

When The Chosen first came out, I watched the first season and thought it was pretty good. But that was it, and I moved on. Then, while listening to a podcast sermon, the pastor mentioned The Chosen as his favorite show about the life of Jesus that wasn't corny. He talked about a scene in episode 4 where Jesus told Peter to "get used to different." I couldn't remember that scene, so I went back to re-watch episode 4. I watched it multiple times but couldn't find that specific scene. It must have been in a different episode. So, I started from the beginning with episode 1 and re-watched the whole season. This time, something amazing happened. With each episode, I noticed more and more of the beauty and intricacies of the story, and it really touched my heart. Finally, at the very end of episode 7, I found the "get used to different" scene. By then, I had watched every episode three or four times, searching for that one line that caught my attention. It felt like God was trying to get my attention. Since then, I've been fully invested in The Chosen. I support it financially, share it with as many people as I can, and have been fortunate enough to participate in extra opportunities in Texas and Utah. I've watched every live stream and special that has been created. My life has already been incredibly blessed, but The Chosen has given me a platform to share Jesus with others, something I've always wanted to do but struggled with. I'm grateful for what has been accomplished so far and excited for the impact it will continue to have worldwide. I'm proud to be a small part of this amazing effort.