Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 09/23/24

American Christians show support for Israel. While dedicating an ambulance in memory of three American Israelis killed by Hamas in the wake of its terrorist attack last October 7th, Samaritan’s Purse President Rev. Franklin Graham, surprised workers of the Israeli emergency services system known as Magen David Adom (MDA) by committing to give an additional 20 armored ambulances on top of the Evangelical aid organization 22 life-saving vehicles already purchased.

(Courtesy: Samaritan’s Purse)

Speaking at last week’s dedication Graham said “Today we are in Israel to dedicate the two armored ambulances that have just arrived, as well as a new ambulance center near the Gaza border where there has not been one before…The need is so great; we have just committed to providing 20 more armored ambulances. The Magen David Adom team are heroes, saving lives every day, and it is an honor to stand with them.”

Graham also took part in a ceremony laying the cornerstone for a new MDA station in Avshalom on the Gaza border. The station will increase the speed in which Israeli paramedics and EMTs can reach emergencies along the Gaza border. The armored ambulances and station will be part of a larger gift by Samaritan’s Purse, now totaling 42 rescue vehicles, of which twenty-eight will be armored, as well as two MDA stations, one in Avshalom and the other in Shlomi, on the northern border. Fourteen ambulances, which are already in service, were donated by the organization in January to replenish the fleet after Hamas targeted and destroyed rescue vehicles during the October attack. Earlier this year, the North Carolina-based organization sent a thousand trauma supply kits to Israel. Each trauma bag was packed with essential medical supplies — including a combat application tourniquet, chest tube kit, suture kit, and intubation kit — to save lives in the event of further attacks. The bags were strategically positioned with MDA first responders throughout communities at high risk for future rocket attacks.

Expressing gratitude for the support, MDA CEO Eli Bin said “The generosity of Reverend Franklin Graham and his organization Samaritan’s Purse knows no bounds…The entire people of Israel are indebted to this great man and organization.”

Back at home, Patricia Heaton appeared on Fox & Friends this morning talking about the nonprofit October 7th Coalition, a network of Christians she founded to stand against antisemitism and which is currently campaigning to use social media to push back against the ugly phenomenon. It’s a noble cause and she deserves great credit for speaking up and taking action.

Part of the interview touched on the rampant antisemitism taking place on college campuses. That gets me thinking that now that she’s joined the cast of the Harvard University-set Frasier sequel series on Paramount+, the show should deal with the subject –  particularly since Harvard is among the schools caught up in the issue. I know that the Frasier franchise has traditionally – and understandably – stayed away from tackling controversial social issues in favor of character and laughs but this aren’t the nineties anymore. I don’t see how a show set on a college campus can pretend that the issue doesn’t exist. It’s almost like in the 1960s when Gomer Pyle USMC totally ignored the Vietnam War.
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A new chapter for Dallas Jenkins. The creator of The Chosen TV series has announced the formation of 5&2 Studios, a new independent studio that will oversee production of The Chosen franchise as well as a future lineup of film and television projects set in the biblical world. The announcement was made during the first day of the ChosenCon fan convention held over the weekend in Orlando.

Talking about the new endeavor, Jenkins said “Nearly every time I encounter a viewer, they say something about wanting more Bible content from us. I always say we need to not get ahead of ourselves and remain focused, but now we’ve got a robust enough team to expand our efforts…“I’m very excited to bring our ‘Chosen way’ to more great stories from the Bible, and it’s awesome that we get to first announce it to the fans who helped get us here long before we were popular.”

5&2 Studios is currently in production or development on the following projects:

The Chosen Adventures  – The 14-episode animated series follows  the adventures 9-year-old Abby in the Galilean city of Capernaum, circa 30 AD after she and her best friend Joshua have an encounter with Jesus.

The Chosen In the Wild with Bear Grylls – A six-episode unscripted adventure series, produced by The Natural Studios in association with 5&2 Studios, in which the celebrity survivalist takes an immersive journey with the cast and creator of The Chosen, providing a unique exploration of the global hit series. In each episode, Grylls ventures into the wild with one cast member while exploring their personal stories and diving deeper into their own perspectives on the series and the characters they portray.

Also in Development

Other projects in development include a three-season series telling the story of Moses, a limited series featuring the life of Joseph and the next chapter following The Chosen with the Acts of the Apostles.

Debuting in 2025, Season 5 of The Chosen will follows Jesus during Holy Week, including the final events occurring through the Last Supper.  Launching in 2026 and 2027 respectively, Seasons 6 and 7 will include special theatrical releases focusing on the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

The Chosen Season 4 is currently airing through October 20 on The CW on Sundays at 8:00 PM. ET. The series also streams via Peacock, Prime Video and The Chosen app. The show is distributed globally by Lionsgate.

Dallas Jenkins also is directing the upcoming Lionsgate film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. See the trailer among the Faith Friendly Coming Attractions below.
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Sweetwater (Streaming on Angel.com and the Angel App September 26th)

White Bird (in theaters October 4th)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (in theaters November 8th)

Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (in theaters November 22nd)

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.