An Open Letter to the Creators of “The Chosen”

To the Creators of “The Chosen”,

Thank you.

Thank you for showing the heart of St. Mary Magdalene.

Thank you for showing a woman who has a past.

A woman who suffers trauma.

A woman who relapses.

A woman who’s not perfect. 

We’ve all been Mary at some point; we’ve all felt the despair of not knowing where to go for help, what to do next, or what we will become. But in “The Chosen”, this is a woman we get to see rescued.

This is a woman we get to see terribly hurt but wonderfully healed.

This is a woman we get to see authentically loved by her brothers.

This is a woman we get to see redeemed.

This is a woman we get to see forgiven. 

I’ve cowered in the face of trauma. I’ve forgotten the words of scripture in times of darkness. I’ve suffered the anguish of abandonment, abuse, and insecurity - believing that I truly am the awful things the devil has fed my mind with.

But seeing Mary Magdalene go through all of that, and still be embraced by Jesus, has filled my heart with a hope I’ve only read about - never seen. It’s the hope that Jesus has been longing for me to grasp ever since I first doubted my worth.

I am a sister of Mary Magdalene. The scars of the world cover me head to toe, but my heart remains whole. My dignity remains protected. My soul remains redeemed. 

I am a sister of Mary Magdalene and I see her likeness in me - not her specific and unique gifts but the love the Father has for her in spite of all the times she’s fallen. All the times the world has pushed her down. 

Thank you for showing me a reflection of the woman I am, and more importantly, for the woman Christ is calling me to become.

Sincerely,

A Sister of Mary 

“Thus says the Lord who created you, and He who formed you, fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.” - Jesus, The Chosen (Season 1, Episode 1)