Wizard of Oz – The Thinking Christian Woman

Illustration from 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Apologies if you’re a Wicked (the musical) fan who sees Elphaba (aka Wicked Witch of the West) as a misunderstood victim, but there’s a wonderful line in the Wizard of Oz, right after Dorothy throws a bucket of water to douse the fire on Straw Man’s arm, accidentally soaking WWW.

The dissolving green meanie screeches,

“You cursed brat!

Look what you’ve done! I’m melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!

Who would have thought a good little girl like you

could destroy my beautiful wickedness!”

A Thinking Christian Woman never aspires to be a cursed brat of course. In fact, a wise balancing truth advises, “if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men,” (Romans 12:18, see also Hebrews 12:14). Even so, might there be some redeeming value if the spiritually wicked consider me a cursed brat?

In many passages, God characterizes attitudes, values, words and actions as either “righteous,” or “wicked.” Those words mean more than “good” and “bad.” Here’s a simple summary of the subtleties:

Righteous – being in a right relationship with God, people, or any other created thing

Wicked – being in a twisted relationship with God, people, or any other created thing

Have you ever been rejected? It usually hurts for sure, but if someone who is out of right relationship, rejects us and sees us as an enemy, can that actually be a good thing in some ways? After all, we are, in part, defined by those who exclude us and seek to eliminate us from opportunities, relationships and power.

Jesus talked about a kind of decluttering, or pruning, that gardener God does in a life to make it more productive. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2)

What if rejection and exclusion are rebukes of life that can sever us from unproductive attachments and help steer us in new and more fruitful directions?

It’s not pleasant perhaps, but being what some might consider a “cursed brat” at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason (such as to destroy wickedness), is something the Thinking Christian Woman might lovingly choose to confidently embrace.