The Old Testament story of Jacob and his twelve sons describes the older brothers as being so envious of their younger brother, Joseph, that “…they hated him.” (Genesis 37:4)

Envy often has deep roots in insecurities from our early years. The brothers were convinced their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. As babies and children, we might have had experiences that convinced us we were not worthy, lovable, or smart enough to be cherished. When we grow up, these deep-rooted unconscious feelings of insecurity persist, sometimes creeping into our awareness and stirring us to compare ourselves unfavorably to others. Too often the end result is envy, which contributes to depression, anxiety, or other mental illness. As I was thinking about all this, my mind jumped to a TV series I’ve been watching. I realized it offers a remedy for our painful self doubts.

A healing balm for insecurity is a deep-knowing that God loves each of us individually without limit and without condition. But cognitive knowledge that God loves us may not be enough to alleviate our insecurities. We need to feel and embrace in our body, mind, and spirit the breadth and depth of God’s love. I believe that watching the TV series THE CHOSEN is a soul-stirring experience that can convince us in body, mind, and spirit of God’s love. This Gospel-based historical drama can help us believe the words of Pope Pope Benedict XVI:

“Each of us is the result of a thought of God.

Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.”

I strongly invite you to watch Angel Studio’s THE CHOSEN—the third season was released in December, 2022. My husband and I are watching this series for the second time, and friends who have watched give rave reviews. Evangelical Christian filmmaker Dallas Jenkins directs the movie, and Jonathan Roumie, a Catholic, stars as Jesus. The result is an intimate and vivid view into the life of Jesus, his followers, and the many who are confused or challenged by him. It was so moving to see how he called each by name. For me, Jesus was so real that the story morphed into a story about Jesus and me. He called his disciples by name. He calls me by name.

When Jesus called Mary Magdalene by name and spoke these words of Isaiah to her, she knew to her core she had been specially selected and called by God as one of his chosen.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are mine.  Isaiah 43:1

The Samaritan woman at the well had a similar experience to Mary’s. Standing by the well, she lept for joy when she realized that Jesus had gone out of his way to find her, knew about her past, and loved her in spite of her failings. When Jesus called his disciples, one at a time, by saying “Follow me,” they, like Mary and the woman at the well, had the great privilege of experiencing their call from a living, breathing Jesus.

Watching this show has powerfully reminded me that Jesus knows everything about me, every hair on my head, the good and the bad in my life, and, yet, he still has chosen me.

He has chosen all of us, but it is not a group call.

He calls us one by one, and then he just waits for our individual answers.

If you watch THE CHOSEN, I believe you will grow in faith and become more secure in your identity as a child of God, knowing you have been chosen and called by name. Fewer pangs of insecurity is a bonus.

SUGGESTIONS:

1. The CHOSEN is free and available to watch on an App for cell phones called The Chosen. The show can also be downstreamed from Angel Studios, where all 3 seasons are available for free. Both Netflix and Prime Video offer at least one season. Angel Studios plans on a total of 7 seasons. I encourage you to watch THE CHOSEN and then share it with others by telling them about it or sharing this blog.

2. Here is an interview of the star, Jonathan Roumie, and Bishop Barron by John Barron, brother of Bishop Barron. It’s great, with humor and theology—plus, you get to see “Jesus” in a leather jacket. The actor is credited with portraying Jesus in a way that vividly highlights both Jesus’ humanity and his divinity. If you don’t have time for the whole 1-hour interview, I encourage you to watch the moving personal testimony of Jonathan which he shares for 8-9 minutes starting approximately 19:30 minutes into the YouTube Video.

I hope you had a glorious Easter.

Love,

Donna

EXTRAS

Author Lori Ann Woods features my essay, “A Long Winter, Then Sunshine,” for the April episode of The Season Series. I describe a dark winter in my life and the sunshine that unexpectedly grew from it. Some pieces are hard to write, but these words just flowed from me. It’s not long…please check it out. Let me also recommend Lori Ann’s new book, Divine Detour, in which she shares her own story and offers valuable wisdom for readers.

Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, her podcast/vlog series Pop-Up Conversations on Health of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and programs at her church. She is the author of Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021), a recent best-seller on Amazon, 2022 Illumination Awards Gold Medal Winner, 2022 Reader Views Literary Award Gold Medal Winner, and 2022 Catholic Media Association First Place Awards.