Hensley: 'The Chosen' and how locals helped in the making of a miracle

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.”

Luke 9:16

For those who may not be familiar, “The Chosen” is a series based on the life of Jesus and his disciples that has enjoyed critical acclaim while building a devoted fan base during its first two seasons.

The much-anticipated third season recently wrapped up shooting just outside Midlothian in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and it culminated with one of the most familiar stories of the Bible – the feeding of the 5,000, the only miracle of Jesus included in all four gospel accounts.

  It also gave Dallas Jenkins, the creative force behind the series, a chance to let some of the show’s fans take part in the filming, and many were incorporated into the scene as extras, including Ron and Margaret Enns of Dalhart.

“What I really enjoy about this series, unlike some of the previous stories of Jesus’ life, is it gives personality to the disciples,” Ron said. “We tend to see them with a halo over their head and praying all the time, but these are people just like us. It’s brought a more realistic approach to it and the struggles they had. They had families, children. They had to give up a lot to follow him during that time.”

“The Chosen” is the first multi-season series devoted to the life of Jesus. It is based upon the Bible, and Jenkins envisions it as an eventual seven-season production. It relies on crowdfunding efforts, meaning a season isn’t produced until its financing is in place. Fans of the series can support it financially, and those who gave at a certain level were invited to be extras as the feeding of the 5,000 scene was filmed.

 “Dallas Jenkins was very interactive with the crowd,” Margaret said. “He was going 1,000 miles a minute, talking to people in the crowd, just an amazing young man. He gave direction to everyone, and he knew when something wasn’t right. He gave a lot of direction.”

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Along those lines, there was an emphasis on authenticity, and extras were cautioned not to interact with actors, she said. Prior to the start of filming, those serving as extras had to make sure modern conveniences such as sunglasses, watches and mobile phones were out of sight. When the cameras weren’t rolling? “People were taking selfies all the time,” Ron said. “I remember sitting there thinking to myself, if I’d known how warm it was going to be, I’d have made my costume lighter.”

Per Screen Actors Guild requirements, Ron said everyone had to be tested multiple times for COVID-19. The production schedule was demanding, but the Ennses said volunteers made sure everyone had plenty of water and were well taken care of while the shooting of the miracle scene took place. Production crews include numerous volunteers working to ensure a smooth experience for everyone.

“You had to put your own costume together,” Ron said. “I had heard how hot it was supposed to be there those days and was a little concerned about burning up, but we had a nice cloudy day. I was really impressed with how organized those people were. They had it all figured out with plenty of water and keeping an eye on people. Every time there was a cut, an army of young kids would come through with water. The fun part was sitting on a hillside watching the actors we had seen in the series on TV.”

With filming complete, the new season of shows will be edited and prepared for release to the public. Published reports indicate the third season will comprise eight episodes (similar to the previous two seasons) and debut later this year, likely in November.

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The opportunity drew people from across the country as well as from Spain, the Philippines and South Africa. Ron said it was a special experience to be part of the filming. “I had a feeling we were putting something together that had happened, something that had gone on before,” he said. “It was fun to look around at people and their costumes. Some went all out. We had Roman guards on horseback patrolling around the scene the whole time.”

Jenkins has been careful to say although the series is based upon the Bible, it also blends storytelling that helps flesh out details. “It’s not written as an exact duplication of scriptures,” Margaret said. “He talks about dramatic license that helps make it come alive.”

There is also another aspect to this. Those who watch “The Chosen” may be moved to learn more by reading the Bible. “We’ve shown it in our Sunday school class,” Ron said. “We point out this is what happened (in the Bible) and this is what was added. People go back and read scripture, and they may see the face of a disciple from the series when they’re reading. It makes it more personal.”

“The Chosen” is produced by Angel Studios. For those wishing to watch the first two seasons, they can download “The Chosen” app or the Angel Studios app.

Doug Hensley is associate regional editor and director of commentary for the Globe-News.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Doug Hensley 'The Chosen,' how locals helped in making of a miracle