A few months ago I began to watch a series in my community called “Blue Bloods”. The series follows an Irish-American family of police officers in the NYPD, called the “Reagan.” Justice, integrity, a tight-knit family, and explicit Catholic values are all whipped up into a prime time and highly rated CBS program. A good remedy to today’s popular idea of a “dysfunctional family.”
Some of the most interesting scenes are those of the sacred “family Sunday dinner”. Like clockwork, a family discussion/boxing match begins about some polemic issue. As the scene shows, the family certainly isn’t perfect, each one with his or her flaws. Nevertheless, their lives, their concerns, their joys, and their decisions are all lived out in a setting of intimate community.
How to live one’s faith in daily life? How to do so on the dangerous streets of New York? Blue Bloods, for this, ends up being a school of prudence. The influence of Catholic values and beliefs are clear and positively presented. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s utopian, naive or infantile. Difficult decisions dealing with real-life situations are rarely clear and painless. Notwithstanding, their faith-based convictions and the input from friends and family help them to make the right decisions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR54ghcg-UQ
As in all things, some elements could be criticized, but I think it’s a good series to watch with family and friends. Another option would be to select a certain scene and use it in a group to talk about any one of a variety of issues: forgiveness, sainthood, courage, faithfulness in marriage, etc…
Here’s a cool scene I found on youtube.
