Not in Kansas anymore!

One of my all-time favorite movies is the “Wizard of Oz”. I think that it was the first movie I ever saw, it’s certainly the earliest one I remember and it left a lasting impression on me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this movie, and when time came to expose my own children to this masterpiece, I shamelessly used them as an excuse to sit by their sides and view again the thrilling journey of Dorothy and her lovable companions. (sorry kids)I have recently introduced my older grand-children to this masterpiece, enjoying it once again. 

If you have never seen it, get the DVD or download it and get lost in an appealing story that is full symbolism of and hidden meaning. L. Frank Baum, who wrote the story in 1899, had a deep understanding of human nature, and I suspect an equally deep understanding of sacrifice and duty.  The story revolves around Dorothy, and her traveling companions, a cowardly Lion, a Tin Man without a real heart, and a dimwitted Scarecrow.   

 

Dorothy, the heroine of the story, ends up in a strange land as the result of being carried away by a tornado. Probably the most oft quoted line from any movie is "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore". 

Dorothy says this to her dog, Toto, as she surveys her alien surroundings, and tries to come to terms with the shock realization life has suddenly and dramatically changed.

Like Dorothy, we are not in Kansas anymore… we have been carried away to another place, no, not by a tornado, but by God’s Holy Spirit.

One interesting aspect of the movie is that parts of it…Dorothy’s life in Kansas at the beginning of and again at the end of the film, are in black and white, while her adventures in the mysterious Land of Oz are in color. Upon her arrival in Oz, Dorothy carefully, nervously opens the door, through which she beholds the vivid colors of Oz - red flowers, blue-suited Munchkins, and, of course, the Yellow Brick road. 

This transformation is a good metaphor for the new world that we awake in when we were reborn. It is very easy, under the pressure of our preoccupations and the bizarre priorities of our cultures, to let our view of the world drift into the narrow tones of grays. But as Christians, we are called to see the world as God sees it, in all its colors, in all its glory, and misery, and beauty and ugliness. As Christians, we should be opening our eyes and our hearts to the full palette of God’s love. In Scripture the ability to see is a metaphor for faith. And, conversely, blindness, the inability to see, is a symbol for lack of faith.

In Luke 12:32-34, Jesus is quoted, saying, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes nor moth corrupts. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Great…. This sounds wonderful. Our problem is that few of us can do this. Most of our lives are spent in a never-ending journey, searching for something that we hope will give meaning to our lives. Most of us are like the characters in The Wizard of Oz. We may look like lions, except we are afraid. We are bright and shiny on the outside, but don't have many of the internal characteristics that help to bring fulfillment. We are tin woodsmen. We many be filled with righteous energy, but lack real wisdom, like the Scarecrow.

And some of us, like Dorothy, are just lost and trying to find a way home. All the characters in The Wizard of Oz - a marvelous literary window into our lives - essentially begin each statement with, “if I only.” “If I only had a brain... If I only had a heart. If I only had courage. If I only could find my way home….”

Jesus came to us to take the “if only” phrase out of our speech…. To live in the Kingdom of God is to live in a realm without fear. But the absence of fear is achieved only when we are filled with love. Being filled with love for God is the door we open to enter the Kingdom where there is no fear. This is good news. But it is scary. Perhaps this is the reason that the angels said when they appeared to announce the Lord’s birth “don't be afraid.” The shepherds who heard the announcement of Jesus' birth from angels first had to hear, “fear not”. There is irony in all of this. Living without fear because we are filled with the love of God can be a fearful concept.