Simon, sullenly: “John, He will take care of it if he wants to.”
John: “You look scared. What are you afraid of?”
Simon: “That He will choose them.”
Jesus: “This is wonderful bread, Telemachus.”
Telemachus: “I know it’s not enough.”
Jesus: “Oh, it’s enough for Me…Thank you.”
How can we get it so wrong? And Jesus just loves us anyway and keeps patiently showing us…
Jesus holds up the bread that Telemachus wanted to offer, and Andrew brought with a mustard seed of faith. He prays and gives thanks to God for the provision. Then tells his students to feed them. To get twelve baskets and organize the people. And they stand there in confusion. Jesus asks, “Was I unclear?” I love that Thomas slyly says, “this feels familiar,” as Jesus responds with a smile.
Then as they all bring their baskets, and Andrew reaches down to give Telemachus his basket back, he realizes it is full. As he opens the lid…so do Matt and Dan…
Matt weighs in…”There are punctuations for the reactions of the disciples here, and we hear an electric guitar peeking into the musical landscape. Finally, something profound has happened.” We also hear vocalist Ruby Amanfu, making a declaration of sorts. “Oh what He has done!” And then we hear a transcendent garden of punctuations, as the music blooms with such variety of sonic expression!
As all the disciples turn to Jesus, Ruby declares “Let’s go!”
Matt resumes, “The lid isn’t quite off until Jesus makes the announcement, then it’s time to celebrate! We wanted to do something bluesy here, but we weren’t sure which variety of blues to lean into. We hadn’t done anything quite like a 60s-inspired blues rock before, and this felt perfect for that. We experimented with a few Jimi Hendrix songs over the scene, and it suddenly all felt like Woodstock. There are many narrative parallels there; we thought this music would evoke all of those emotional associations, even if one didn’t connect the dots on a cognitive level. Our friend Paul Eckberg played, for the first time in a Chosen cue, a full drum kit! And, of course, Steven Williamson expertly mixed it. Both Paul and Steven spent some time studying the Hendrix reference, and I think they knocked it out of the park.”
Matt, Dan, Steven, Ruby and Paul absolutely knocked it out of the park. I remember Dallas, the head risk-taker, saying about this cue, “When it comes to the music, there are no rules.” He added, “When our composers, Matt Nelson and Dan Haseltine have an instinct, 9 out of 10 times they are right. Who cares if we haven’t heard drums before, we haven’t seen loaves and fish multiply either.”
Well, this could go on and on, but I would rather leave it here, at enchantment. By the story, the writing and the acting, by the wonder of the making of this story, and that so many of us were there, as extras. I’m enchanted by the way this art helps me to be more in awe of the ways of God than ever before.
Sustenance by His perfect love. Impossible math. Indescribable compassion. Breath-taking sacred art. Three seasons in, and The Chosen keeps taking us deeper and deeper into His unimaginable grace. Enchanted by it all.