A gloomy beginning
He was about eleven years old and was painfully aware that his mother was dying of cancer. His father is a Reverend and he was constantly praying for his mother’s healing. Because he is a Christian, he believed that God will answer his prayers…and eventually He did. His mother was told in a miraculous turn of events that the doctors can no longer locate her cancer and as such she was free to go home.
On that faithful day home, his mother’s taxi was unfortunately hit at an intersection by a truck and she died on the spot. Miles Finer, the believing eleven-year old, was deeply distraught and turned his back on God since that day forward. His relationship with his father was the only remnant of God in his life, but slowly and surely that relationship too became estranged, because Miles wants nothing to do with a God who played with his hopes. He is now a full-fledged atheist with a podcast called ‘The Millennium Prophet’ where he constantly questions life.
The irony
Now in his mid-twenties, Miles, the atheist is strangely sent a friend request on his Facebook from an account called ‘God’. Being a staunch atheist, Miles is convinced that the account is a crude joke being played by someone who is aware of his podcast. Out of curiosity, he honours the request and then receives his first friend suggestion.
The name he was sent was a doctor who had decided to commit suicide and had made his way to the subway station to take the plunge. Miles finds him just in time to pull him from the death leap and he then realises what the ‘God account’ had entrusted him to. All the suggestions he would get were for him to bid assistance.
The second friend suggestion turned out to be a female who would ultimately become one of his trusted friends and they would later form two thirds of the team that would assist many others. Though they all work tirelessly to help every suggestion and accepts their lot as a higher calling, because Miles is atheist, he insists on uncovering who could be behind the ‘God account’ in an attempt to disprove that this could actually be God.
What can we say to these things…
When I started watching this series, I was not only intrigued by the irony of an atheist being used by ‘God’ to effect such acts, but was also aware that God does indeed use whomever he pleases. In fact, Miles was the best candidate as his resolve to help every friend suggestion he got drew him closer to the reality of a loving, caring God.
As season one ran its course, Miles and his Reverend father had reconciled their relationship and though he still maintained he didn’t believe in God, his reasons to keep believing so were quickly diminishing. Now he’s not only found a new love interest form working for the account, but he has gotten a few answers to some pertinent questions.
‘God friended me’ keeps reminding me of a few salient points, even thought it might have one or two off points (as a Hollywood movie), because I observed the following truths:
1. God’s sovereign choice – “So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen” (Romans chapter 9, verse 18). God choose atheistic Miles to do his work and as he meets success after success, his heart is being transformed.
2. God is gracious – “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love” (Psalms chapter 103, verse 8). Even though Miles turned his back on God as a child, he never forsook him.
3. God always has a plan, even in the pain – “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew chapter 6, verse 10). ““For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”” (Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11). Miles stepped away from God after his mother’s death, and his Reverend father, but he was later to be used to help people.
4. God’s love is unconditional – “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans Chapter 8, verse 28). Through it all. God constantly demonstrates his love for Miles by choosing him to help all his people;
5. God is awesome – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians chapter 4, verse 8). This is exactly the feeling one gets after each episode.
Though a fictitious series, ‘God Friended Me’ feels anything but when watching the stories unfold. Even halfway into season two, Miles has still yet to find the owner of the ‘God Account’ and it seems to reason that he never will. He wants to believe that this might be someone’s plan, but every lead to uncover the owner of the account leads to another life he must assist. I keep hoping that when he doesn’t find an owner, he will believe in God again. And how could he not even after all the people the account/God has led him to help?
I promise to let you know when I find out.