We know that conversation around the table at Thanksgiving is usually reserved for whatever brings peace and goodwill, like, say, politics. But this Thanksgiving, why not stir things up a bit? Get a little disruptive. It’s not all that hard. All you have to do is talk about a choice scene from The Chosen—and in this article, we’ve given you two (a double serving) that ought to get the job done.
But one quick suggestion first: this will be most effective if you clear out the family heirloom centerpiece that was hand-crafted by your great-great-great grandma and replace it with a TV, so that you can actually play the scenes for your family. (Boom. Already disruptive.)
Conversation Starter #1
Remember that scene in Season 1 when it becomes quite clear Andrew has not been given the spiritual gift of dancing? And Simon asks Jesus to fix it by way of a miracle? Jesus’s response? “Some things even I cannot do.” Here’s the scene, because don’t forget—that TV is gonna be smack dab in the middle of your table, so you can totally show it:
Now, you’ve got two options on where you go with this one. First of all, people do not like a joking Jesus. They want him stoic and stuffy. So, you could just show the scene, and once you’ve stifled your own laughter, say, “Man, I love how The Chosen shows Jesus telling jokes. Because you know he did. Right, guys? Right? Guys?”
Or you could go another direction entirely. Maybe your family is totally fine with a joking Jesus, but you know they would not be fine with any jokes about his omnipotence (which is a fancy term for “all-encompassing power”). Show the scene and say, “Oh man, I love how they joke that Jesus is powerful enough to turn water into wine, but he can’t possibly help Andrew pull off the Electric Slide.” The theological debate will be so intense, you could easily slip away and steal the absolute best piece of pie before anyone else can.
Conversation Starter #2
Chances are, even if the rest of your family hasn’t watched The Chosen, they’ve probably seen a scene or two involving Mary Magdalene, which means they probably know a thing or two about her story. But you might have to prep them. Something like:
“The Chosen takes seriously that little note in the Gospels that Mary had to have seven demons driven out of her. And this made them wonder if someone that wrecked by demons might have been driven to drinking. So they imagined that struggle into her story.”
Now, that alone might be enough disruption, because we get a lot of flack for our imagination, as careful as we are with it. But the part of Mary’s story in The Chosen that really got folks worked up was when we had her backslide in Season 2. Not only did we imagine her struggling with alcohol before she encountered Jesus; we imagined her struggling with alcohol after she encountered Jesus. You should show everyone the clip below. On that TV. That’s in the middle of your Thanksgiving feast.
Folks did not like this. Because if we’re all honest, we sort of like our spiritual heroes to take a turn toward the perfect and then stay in that lane. So, give a little backstory on Mary Mags, show the clip, and then say something like, “Anyone have any thoughts on The Chosen making her a bit of a backslider?” Good times.
Anyway, you just go on and give either option above a try, and we think it’s safe to say this’ll be a Thanksgiving to remember. Because it’s gonna feel like the Fourth of July, what with all the fireworks.
