In the era of Trump, many people are in search of macaroni and cheese for the spirit. People are in search for a kinder, more civil time, in which the better angels of our nature can find appropriate soul food. Many of us need to believe, in a time when we are dwarf by political chaos and the impact of social issues (global climate change, privilege, political dysfunctionality) that appear beyond our control, that small actions can make a big difference in healing our world.
Enter “God Friended Me,” a recent CBS television attempt to respond to millennial seekers and those who describe themselves spiritual but not religious. Cut from the same cloth as “Touched by an Angel,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “Early Edition,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Miracle of 34th Street,” “God Friended Me” invites us to look beyond the breaking news to see a “grand design,” a gentle providence guiding our footsteps and leading us, if we listen, to participate in the healing of those around us. “God Friended Me” presents an undramatic mysticism in which the Holy reveals itself quietly and persistently to everyday people.
The premise is straightforward and reflective of our times. Miles Finer, an atheist preacher’s kid who loses his faith when his mother dies begins to receive messages in which he receives friend requests from God, imaged a solitary cloud with a blue sky surrounding. Thinking these messages to be a hoax, he deletes them until God’s persistence finally wears him down.
Once he accepts God’s friend request, Miles’ life is turned upside down. He begins to receive recommendations, and discovers that these recommendations refer to persons in need of his intervention. He discovers that his life is no longer random, but is filled with synchronous encounters in which the well-being of others is at stake. In the course of the first episode, Miles saves the life of a suicidal physician who ends up saving the life of Miles’ new friend Cara Bloom.
While the theology is soft, generic, and in many ways superficial, to those who would like a more focused theological or doctrinal message, I found the program engaging and invitational. For believers and seekers, the question of God’s activities in the world still remain open. The reality of God in what German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer described as “world come of age” begs questions such as: “Does God determine everything (“God does not play dice”) or do we live in an open universe, populated by random events, in which humans and God are actors in shaping an unscripted present and future? In other words, do we write the script along with God in a manner similar to the interplay of divine call and human response? What happens if we don’t respond to God’s recommendations?
At the very least, “God Friended Me” portrays an intricately interconnected world, characterized by moment by moment synchronous encounters. In the dynamic web of life, one small change can be the catalyst for unexpected and important events. The future is not decided but depends on how we respond to suggestions of our divine “friend.”
While Miles is a pastor’s son, the spirituality of the show is universal and not preachy. God is much less concerned with faith tradition – or even faith – than we are. Simply saying “yes” to a friendly wisdom beyond ourselves is all that is needed to unleash a world of energetic healing possibilities. While some may want more doctrine, there is a good deal of truth in images of a divinity who acts within the events of our lives, mostly anonymously, to elicit our partnership in bringing about wholeness and transformation. As Jung asserts, “bidden or unbidden, God is here.
“God Friended Me” is macaroni and cheese for the spirit. But, it may be more to some viewers. As unpretentious as the program is, it may open our minds to the importance of small events in transforming the world. In the spirit of the mystic and saint Therese of Lisieux, God simply wants us to do ordinary things with love. In the everyday encounters of life, God is revealed and when we say “yes” to the better angels of our nature, as Abraham Lincoln counseled, we take the first steps in claiming our role as God’s companions in healing the earth.
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Bruce Epperly is a pastor, theologian, writer, spiritual guide and grandparent, living on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is the author of over forty-five books, including “The Mystic in You: Discovering a God-filled World,” “Becoming Fire: Spiritual Practices for Global Christians,” “The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh,” and “Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God.”
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