I’m happy to report good news on several fronts. A couple of weeks ago, Dallas Jenkins, creator, writer, and director of The Chosen, sent out an email informing us that the strike by Hollywood writers and actors had shut them down. Dallas asked us to pray for this “Red Sea moment” as they appealed to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists for an exemption because The Chosen is made by an independent studio.

The main good news is that the exemption was approved, and The Chosen resumed filming on July 24. Praise the Lord.

The second piece of good news is how The Chosen requested the exemption. In a day of outrage and demands, people of all kinds pushing for their “rights,” including Christians, Dallas wrote to the labor union:

We’re the good guys; we’ve treated your actors well. Please take the few minutes to approve our application so your actors can get back to work getting paid for the last two weeks of a season they want to finish.

I’m encouraged by several aspects of this request:

• The Chosen has already been taking care of the actors. They haven’t been asking them to work for less because it’s a Christian series.
• The request is written from the viewpoint of the labor union: “We’ve treated your actors well.” Please approve the application “so your actors can get back to work getting paid…”
• The request is built around what the actors want: “…getting paid for the last two weeks of a season they want to finish.”

The request does NOT mention any trauma to the organization. No mention of “We’re losing money here!” That’s not something the labor union cares anything about.

So I’m glad the exemption was approved, and they can finish filming Season 4, and I’m very pleased they handled themselves well.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders…Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4.5, 6, ESV)