Lessons from the Wizard...of Oz

First of all, I love the movie, The Wizard of Oz. Now that I'm a little older than when I first loved it, I find it to be such a smart and entertaining movie. I could probably devote a million blogs on this movie alone, but I will spare my two loyal readers. :-D

But for the moment, I will share only three observations. In lieu of my last marathon entry, I will keep this brief...er.

1. The Yellow Brick Road. It was the instruction Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, gave Dorothy when she began her journey home: follow the yellow brick road. It seemed simple enough, and Dorothy had to trust that it would not lead her astray.

But when Dorothy came to the fork in the road where she met the Scarecrow, she hesitated. Doubt plagued her...which road should she take? Was she lost? What happens if she went to the right or to the left?

Paralyzed by her fear of being lost, she neglected to notice that both roads were made of yellow bricks, and so forgot her only instruction: follow the yellow brick road. If Glinda was right, and all she had to do was follow the yellow brick road, she would find her way home...and either road would take her there...that is, if they were both yellow.

I often forget my instructions when faced with a hard decision. Paralyzed by fear and failure, I forget that no matter road I take, if I follow Jesus, I will get to where I am going.

2. The Wicked Witch of the West. When the Wicked Witch threatens Dorothy in Munchkinland, Glinda wraps a protective arm around Dorothy and says laughingly to the Wicked Witch:

"Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone!"

Wicked Witch, though quite a fearsome creature to behold, had no real power under real authority. How often I forget that Satan, though powerful enough, has no real power where God resides. And with a simple reminder under the full authority of God, he'll leave me alone, too.

3. Brains. One of my favorite quotes come in the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow. He admits to her that he doesn't have a brain. She asks how he was able to talk if he didn't have a brain. His reply:

"But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking."

I tend not to be cynical when it comes to the Presidential Election, but a person can only take so much! Yes, there is a lot of talk out there. We tend to make stupid decisions, individually and as a group, but we are not stupid. We have the ability to make our own minds, and all we are asking is for the facts, not spin. Now, I can't say that people don't do stupid things (because many people do) but I am tired of a governmental leadership assuming that we cannot make an informed decision if we are given all of the facts.

Sadly, we can't fix the problem with a broken system. Talking heads are what we left with, and the Presidential Election will appear again in four years when, again, change is all we talk about.

I hope, with or without an Presidential election year, that we never stop talking about change. But I also hope that we do more than talk, that we would continue working toward a better world for our children and reaching those for the glory of God.

4. Puns. I hate puns. But this movie gets away with it. When Dorothy and the Scarecrow meet the Tin Man, he mumbles...

Dorothy: [to Scarecrow] He said oil can.
Scarecrow: Oil can what?

As a child, I didn't get it. Now that I do, I can't stop laughing.