The Sacred Thread is a thrilling seven part documentary which aims to help Christians better understand the original context of the Bible’s most famous prayer. Chris Sinkinson says the combination of beautiful locations and insightful interviewees makes this a first class series of great value to Christians and churches
Jerome, the early Church theologian, once described the Holy Land as “the fifth Gospel.” It was an astute comment. The four Gospels give us the good news of Jesus Christ, but the land illustrates and illuminates what those narratives are telling us. Proving this point brilliantly is this epic production from Angel Studios, home of The Chosen.
Beautifully produced with high value filming and script, the seven episodes explore each line of the Lord’s Prayer with surprising exegetical detail and revealing background content. There’s no dumbing down, but they are entirely accessible with a helpful lightness of touch in the explanations. The content and references are accurate but are not overly technical and so the explanations of history, ancient technology and near Eastern worldview are easy to follow.
Brad Gray, a pastor from Nashville, effortlessly explains the meaning of the text on location but also digs deeper into the context. What did Jesus mean by God being “Our Father” or being “in heaven”? The context of the ancient world casts fresh light on our modern readings.
We also hear a range of interesting voices – from astronomers to labourers – whose experience illustrates what we read in the Bible. Contributors include NT Wright, who will be familiar to many UK viewers (and readers of this magazine). Theologically, the episodes reflect evangelical values and a conservative view of the dating of Bible events (such as placing the Exodus around 1450 BC).
Stunning locations
Filmed on location in places such as Luxor (Egypt), Petra (Jordan) and Bethlehem (West Bank), the filmmakers take advantage of the stunning scenery of the land of the Bible. The desert terrain of the Sinai is the perfect place to explore the wilderness wandering of Moses, and the hill country of Bethel sets the backdrop for the experience of Jacob.
In the Sinai, we meet a ‘survivalist’ with experience of what a burning bush would have looked like. On the banks of the River Nile, we watch mud bricks being made – much as they were 3,000 years ago at the time of the Exodus. The use of experts, scholars and locals gives real flavour and personality to the discoveries.
The Bible is not a book of myth or legend but a book of real people and real places
As it is all recently filmed, you can expect some new and noteworthy views even of places well-known to those like me who spend quite a bit of time travelling in these parts of the world.
Given the present-day hostilities across the region, it can be a delicate matter to tell the story of the Bible without stepping in metaphorical minefields. But the script has been carefully thought through, telling us what we need to know without unnecessary entanglements in current controversies. The contributors include Arab and Jewish perspectives that all help give a sense of objectivity.
The bible brought to life
The dramatic landscapes and compelling narrative would easily hold most people’s attention and lay some good foundations for careful reading of the Bible. In the end, the Bible is not a book of myth or legend but a book of real people and real places. This series provides good reason to take that historical value seriously and listen carefully to its meaning.
The context of the ancient world casts fresh light on our modern readings
The episodes are short (30 minutes) and easy to digest. They would be suitable for someone new to the Bible but provide enough interesting content to make them worthwhile even to those with theological training. The emphasis on the land makes them really engaging for sceptics.
