So last night, my apartment [minus Kaitlyn RIP to homework :(] went to the IU auditorium to see The Wizard of Oz. It was amazing!! I've never been huge in the Wizard of Oz and I haven't seen it in awhile but this my friends was amazing! The special effects, the lighting, the acting, the singing, the dancing, the orchestra--AMAZING! Of course my favorite part was the tornado....it really was cool how they did it though, I PROMISE! haha
It was really interesting what started to run though my mind, though, when the scene came for Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion to actually get to Oz and meet with the Wizard. The Wizard, much like in the movie, was this huge totem pole looking deal with a huge, colorful, and glowing face who's eyes lit up and smoke poured out of his head when he was angry--which happened often. For real, this dude looked like he was straight out of a Scooby-Doo mystery!
Watching the terror that took over each of the characters as they were in the presence of this enormously frightening bully, I started to see this as how so many of us, Christians and non-Christians included, look at God. They were cowering together in pure fear in the presence of this "almighty." This poor excuse of a tree instilled this fear in them to make himself feel superior. He delighted in making them afraid and fearful. As he called each of them by name to stand in front of him, and basically mocked and judged them, each person reacted out of this controlling fright. Psssh, I would too! I remember the Tin Man stuttering, "Yee, yeee, yeessss, your Honor..I mean Sir...your Majesty."
So often, we come to God for help, wisdom, understanding, a trip home. We use God as this "Wizard" who we desperately hope will grant our every wish...according to his purpose of course...The thing is, this is exactly how we have a tendency of seeing Him. We see Him as this freaky totem-pole looking creature who is all wise and all knowing who, when we ask for something big, requires us to bring him something back in return in order for Him to return the favor. If you'll recall, when Dorothy and the others tell the Wizard their intentions for coming to Oz--to get a heart, a brain, some courage, back to Kansas--he requires that they must bring back the Wicked Witch of the West's broom first.
God does not, will not, shall not--that's right, shall not--require ANYTHING...let me repeat, ANYTHING...from us in return for Him to love us. God loves without agenda, without fault, without selfish ambition. That's another thing, God LOVES. This distant Wizard, who is actually a phony, is only there to gain power and control over the people and as a result gain respect from those who fear him. God is not like that in any way. God acts out of love, HIS LOVE. He is not distant, we do not have to travel to find Him, He does not glow and blow smoke when He's angry (although that might be kind of cool), He does not require anything in return.
We so many times fall into that trap of seeing God in that light though :/ Because we see God this way, we're afraid to get too close, realizing that it was a scam all along--that really, it was just a man behind the red curtain.
I almost vouch to say that this is what religion is and why it's so easy for us to see God that way. Often times religion claims to have all the answers, the ability to move mountains as long as you get involved, as long as you volunteer at the pitch-in lunches or in the little kids Sunday school. After you "pay your dues" so to speak, you will gain your benefit of God granting your wish. Once we get further enveloped into this scheme, we uncover the fact that it wasn't God all along that was behind the curtain, it was man. Then what are we left with? Anger, shame, hate.
God is right here, right now. God is next to you always and if you're in relationship with Him, He's inside of your heart at every second of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year, etc. Don't let God become this freaky face that wants to instill fear and boss you around, see Him for who He truly is. We don't need to come to him in a stuttering despair of "Almighty," "Sir," "King of Kings," "Your Majesty."
"Your heart is not judged based on how much you love others, it's based on how much you are loved by [God]."--The Wizard from the Wizard of Oz (I know, I replaced "others" at the end with "God" :)
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