Life. Well lived or Not.
I am a superfan of the Chosen* Not only have I seen the complete series 4 times but I also watch all the updates, interviews and filming recaps. The Chosen does not refer to Jesus, He is not the main character. It’s about the people He chose while on earth. Not just the disciples although they are prominent, but also about the women and the Pharisees and the Romans. My favorite scenes are the ones with the families of the disciples, Simon and Eden, Matthew and his parents. When Zebedee tells John & James to go with Jesus and they question what he will tell their mother… Maybe Rona brought too much isolation, but I am deeply invested in these characters. A recent round table with the director and several of the actors who play disciples took my breath. The director reminded them that they all die in the end. I got to thinking about that. Why do I, we, watch and read so much about characters, real or fictional, whom we KNOW will die in the end?
Books about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, 9-11, WWI abound and are best sellers. Miss Saigon was an award winning musical about the Vietnam War and ended sadly. This is Us is a popular, acclaimed TV show and viewers hung on for a season to find out how Jack died. Remember Who shot JR? I don’t think we are obsessed with death; I think we are amazed at life. A life well lived and in JR’s case, not so well lived.
We are going to die. It is one thing everyone can agree on. Benjamin Franklin said, “The only thing certain is death and taxes”. It’s how we live that is important. That sounds trite and we’ve all heard it before. Still, how we live determines how we will be remembered when we die.
The last eight months have brought out the worst and best in us. In me. The disappointments and subsequent discouragement of this season has become a chronic struggle for me. I don’t always handle this struggle well. I’m convicted but also challenged to grow through the Rona.
In these days of uncertainty, Thinkin ‘bout how I’m living.
