John

I always believed in God, though my belief in Jesus was somewhat uncertain. One day, while attending physical therapy for my knee, a woman asked if I had watched "The Chosen." A few weeks later, she brought it up again, and I decided to give it a try. The first episode was a bit slow, but I stuck with it. Then, there was that scene where Jesus placed his hand on Mary and redeemed her. That moment marked a profound shift in my life, and I knew I wanted to follow Jesus. Since then, I've watched all three available seasons of the show multiple times and eagerly anticipate the fourth season. I feel strongly that I need to do what I can to ensure the show is available for all.

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker by profession. At the start of my career, I attended a screenwriting workshop pioneered by a mentor who is also a Christian. The Chosen (season one at the time) was used as a case study on storytelling peculiarities in comparison to other Bible-adapted film and TV projects. The first thing that struck me was the poster - a photo of Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) smiling. I'm not sure why, but I had never imagined before then that Jesus was someone who smiled. I also hadn't seen anything like that in any of the other Bible-adapted productions I'd watched. I knew Jesus was 100% human on earth, but seeing that photo made me realize I hadn't really understood what it meant. It also made me realize that I had placed God in this cordial place of rulership, and there was a whole other dimension of a relationship that I hadn't come in contact with. All of this from a poster. I was hooked already, even before I saw a single episode. Episode one was the cherry on top, and I've followed every episode and season since then. I think my friends and colleagues are probably tired of hearing me talk about the show. The Chosen made Jesus and the Bible a lot more relatable to me, and my relationship with God Bible study especially) is so much better for it. Thank you.