On A Wing And A Prayer
National Geographic Channel “Story Of God II”
Morgan Freeman, narrator
National Geographic/ Revelations Entertainment 21st Century Fox 2017
Each episode is 50 minutes in length
3 Episodes in this series
Episode One. shown January 16, 2017
The Chosen One
National Geographic Channel’s production in 2016 of “The Story of God” was popular, so much so, that here comes Part II, also starring actor Morgan Freeman as the narrator/interviewer. Freeman is the traveling man complete with private plane. What is covered here in 50 minutes concerns a man in a North Korean jail, looking at a Muslim holy day and seeing a boy who is believed to be a reincarnation of a sacred person.
Being a chosen one carries many responsibilities, and one of which is trying to stay alive. How is one chosen? The Bible has the voice of God, or an angel, telling a person they are selected. There is no process or test to pass. One minute you are you and the next minute, you are anointed King as with David, the shepherd boy, and last of Jesse’s sons to see the prophet and there you have it. He was The One. In today’s world, there are no dramatic happenings. Instead, a person has a strong sense of responsibility, as with a Christian who wants to bring the Gospel to Asia and ends up in a North Korean prison with his life on the line. This is Missionary Kenneth Bae, who was in a prison camp for two years, and tortured for hours before feeling a sort of release that the Holy Spirit was with him there. Then there is a child, who is believed to be a Holy Leader and a look at a Muslim holy day.
All of this is brought to you with Morgan Freeman’s soft spoken manner of asking questions---sometimes they seem prying---and getting answers. We are in a nonchalant society, so no drum rolls or trumpets are needed. People respond as though the camera was a friend and you get a realistic look at their beliefs. You can cover a lot of territory in 50 minutes.
Following episodes will explore "Heaven and Hell" (not a real visit) and then "Proof of God." As with the previous “Story of God,” direction, cinematography and music are excellent.
National Geographic and 21st Century Fox have joined to produce this series. The series will run on television where over 730 million people, in 171 countries and 45 languages will see and hear it. The three episodes are “The Chosen One” (January 16, 2017), “Heaven and Hell” (January 23, 2017) and “Proof of God” (January 30, 2017.) The organization called (NGP) returns 27 percent of proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information see www.nationalgrographic.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, Linkedin and Pinterest.
Copyright 2017 Marie Asner