Wicked!
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."
- Matthew 5:21-22
Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted here...misplaced priorities probably. Well, that's a subject for another post.
Today is the morning after I saw "Wicked" at JQH in Springfield. Many of you reading this have seen or will see it. It was truly a Broadway-like production. I was amazed at the beautiful costumes, detailed and computerized props, and the talent I observed. Had such a good time.
Funny thing though. The lesson I was chewing on from Sunday School that morning is chewing on me even more after watching this performance. When God wants you to get something, He kind of pounds at it until you do, though, doesn't He? Anyway, I'm doing a lot of thinking about the 'wicked' people in this world and around me.
In the production, the two witches, Glinda the 'good' witch and Elphaba the wicked witch of the west. We all know these characters from "The Wizard of Oz". This story, however, gives the background for those two characters and how they came to be who they are.
Not to give up too much of the story, let me just generalize about them. Glinda was given everything she ever wanted. She had a 'cushy' life, pretty, popular, actually spoiled. Although everyone loved her, she had a self-righteous, somewhat mean side to her that others seemed to over look.
Elphaba, on the other hand, had a much more difficult life. She was born with green skin, and her father was horrified. Her younger sister was disabled, and she was her father's delight. Elphaba's only worth to her father was in what she could do for her sister. She always felt unloved and ugly. In reality, though, in her youth she was kind, and good, and always fighting for the underdog.
Okay, so the Sunday School lesson was on forgiveness. How does it tie in? Well, for me it kind of does. Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing we are COMMANDED to do. It's really not a choice, much as we would like it to be. Sometimes that process is easier, but most of the time it is grueling, painful, and time consuming. Even with the small hurts, we feel we have a right to anger, and it is really hard to give that up. It's ours. We deserve it. We want to keep it.
Anyway, since Sunday School and the play I have been tossing these things around in my head. I have done some forgiveness work in the past, and with God's help and lots of prayer and time, God released me from the anger. I do feel compassion for that person now, and although we can not be
reconciled and I do not agree with the actions of this person quite often, I no longer feel the burning hatred I used to feel. It was a tremendous burden lifted off my shoulders.
There are other issues though that I have not dealt with well. These are the stacked up hurts. The little things over a long period of time that I have carefully piled up, labeled, and hold on to. In my case, these are hurts by those closest to me. And, they are even hurts I have caused myself. Sometimes you don't think you need to forgive yourself, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
I think when those closest to us hurt us, it's really tough. They should know better. If they loved me enough they would not do that. But, we try to make it no big deal, salve it over, and put it aside. When we do that, whether we consciously know it or not, they go into that little closet where they are piled up and held on to. They fester there. Of course the best thing to do would be to handle them at the moment.....but let's face it. Sometimes, with some people, in some situations, we simply can't confront and talk it over. It doesn't work. I bet you know some situations like that in your life. Also, some of the things that hurt us would seem ridiculous if we did confront. So that may not be an option.
So what to do? The only answer is to clean out the closet. One of the things I try to tell myself about all the junk I have done incorrectly in the past is this; "I did the best I knew how at the time." I can look back at some of those behaviors and kind of gasp at them. If I let him, Satan would absolutely control me over the guilt I would have about most of the first "x" number of years of my life. But I have looked at some of the reasons those things may have happened, and have tried to forgive myself for them. I know God forgives me, so why shouldn't I forgive myself?
But what about the ones who have hurt me? I think God is telling me to think about Elphaba. People who hurt others, even the ones they love best, usually have some reason for doing that. They may not even be aware of it. Like Elphaba, something probably happened to them to make them think this behavior is ok. Maybe the way they were raised, a hurt they have shoved in the closet that is festering, insecurity, being pampered by another. All stuff they experienced that may partially explain what they do. I believe God wants me to try to understand.......and forgive. Even if they don't ask for it. Even if they don't think they need it. Even if I don't think they deserve it.
Because it's like this.....God has given me directions here. He's also given me the tools to do what He asks. So, if I need to think of a green girl from Oz to help me do that, I think it's ok. And then the "Wicked" loses its power over me. And I can walk in grace.
- Matthew 5:21-22
Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted here...misplaced priorities probably. Well, that's a subject for another post.
Today is the morning after I saw "Wicked" at JQH in Springfield. Many of you reading this have seen or will see it. It was truly a Broadway-like production. I was amazed at the beautiful costumes, detailed and computerized props, and the talent I observed. Had such a good time.
Funny thing though. The lesson I was chewing on from Sunday School that morning is chewing on me even more after watching this performance. When God wants you to get something, He kind of pounds at it until you do, though, doesn't He? Anyway, I'm doing a lot of thinking about the 'wicked' people in this world and around me.
In the production, the two witches, Glinda the 'good' witch and Elphaba the wicked witch of the west. We all know these characters from "The Wizard of Oz". This story, however, gives the background for those two characters and how they came to be who they are.
Not to give up too much of the story, let me just generalize about them. Glinda was given everything she ever wanted. She had a 'cushy' life, pretty, popular, actually spoiled. Although everyone loved her, she had a self-righteous, somewhat mean side to her that others seemed to over look.
Elphaba, on the other hand, had a much more difficult life. She was born with green skin, and her father was horrified. Her younger sister was disabled, and she was her father's delight. Elphaba's only worth to her father was in what she could do for her sister. She always felt unloved and ugly. In reality, though, in her youth she was kind, and good, and always fighting for the underdog.
Okay, so the Sunday School lesson was on forgiveness. How does it tie in? Well, for me it kind of does. Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing we are COMMANDED to do. It's really not a choice, much as we would like it to be. Sometimes that process is easier, but most of the time it is grueling, painful, and time consuming. Even with the small hurts, we feel we have a right to anger, and it is really hard to give that up. It's ours. We deserve it. We want to keep it.
Anyway, since Sunday School and the play I have been tossing these things around in my head. I have done some forgiveness work in the past, and with God's help and lots of prayer and time, God released me from the anger. I do feel compassion for that person now, and although we can not be
reconciled and I do not agree with the actions of this person quite often, I no longer feel the burning hatred I used to feel. It was a tremendous burden lifted off my shoulders.
There are other issues though that I have not dealt with well. These are the stacked up hurts. The little things over a long period of time that I have carefully piled up, labeled, and hold on to. In my case, these are hurts by those closest to me. And, they are even hurts I have caused myself. Sometimes you don't think you need to forgive yourself, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
I think when those closest to us hurt us, it's really tough. They should know better. If they loved me enough they would not do that. But, we try to make it no big deal, salve it over, and put it aside. When we do that, whether we consciously know it or not, they go into that little closet where they are piled up and held on to. They fester there. Of course the best thing to do would be to handle them at the moment.....but let's face it. Sometimes, with some people, in some situations, we simply can't confront and talk it over. It doesn't work. I bet you know some situations like that in your life. Also, some of the things that hurt us would seem ridiculous if we did confront. So that may not be an option.
So what to do? The only answer is to clean out the closet. One of the things I try to tell myself about all the junk I have done incorrectly in the past is this; "I did the best I knew how at the time." I can look back at some of those behaviors and kind of gasp at them. If I let him, Satan would absolutely control me over the guilt I would have about most of the first "x" number of years of my life. But I have looked at some of the reasons those things may have happened, and have tried to forgive myself for them. I know God forgives me, so why shouldn't I forgive myself?
But what about the ones who have hurt me? I think God is telling me to think about Elphaba. People who hurt others, even the ones they love best, usually have some reason for doing that. They may not even be aware of it. Like Elphaba, something probably happened to them to make them think this behavior is ok. Maybe the way they were raised, a hurt they have shoved in the closet that is festering, insecurity, being pampered by another. All stuff they experienced that may partially explain what they do. I believe God wants me to try to understand.......and forgive. Even if they don't ask for it. Even if they don't think they need it. Even if I don't think they deserve it.
Because it's like this.....God has given me directions here. He's also given me the tools to do what He asks. So, if I need to think of a green girl from Oz to help me do that, I think it's ok. And then the "Wicked" loses its power over me. And I can walk in grace.
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