Friends Sitcom Hit the Sweet Spot

The Sitcom Friends was a TV show that somehow hit the sweet spot.

Launched in 1994, the series was set in New York,  and followed the day-to-day lives of a group of six 20-something friends. And while the characters do get romantically involved with each other from time to time… Romance is not the central theme.

The honesty, sparring and care that the characters show to each other seems more akin to the relationships of siblings.

There’s this strong sense of belonging together that feels like a family thing. Selfishness is called out in a direct but light kind of way.  Someone getting too big for their boots is taken down a peg – but anyone going through a low moment is lifted up with a kind of sibling affection.

Why has the show been so successful.. well the sharp scripting and well-timed humour are a big part of it.. but perhaps at a deeper level, the show speaks to a longing we all have to belong to a supportive loving community.

And that’s what church is meant to be. It was Jesus who said… I don’t call you servants, I call you friends because I’ve let you in on everything my father has told me.

Amazing.. to be part of a loving community is the eternal destiny that God invites us all to be a part of.