The Wizard of Oz Meet Bethlehem
Added 12/21/2008
Posted by Doug Seletzky at 7:08:46 AM

So our children’s program this year promises to be VERY original thanks to Linda and Jim Morford. It is a cross between the Christmas story and the wizard of Oz.   I said last week in the message that God wants to do new things through you and Jim and Linda’s retelling of the Christmas story is a prime example of this.  Hats off to you Jim and Linda!

As I re-watched the Wizard of OZ this week, I was struck by Dorothy’s musings. In the scene just before she sings Somewhere Over The Rainbow  she says, “Some place where there isn't any trouble.  Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto?      There must be. It's not a place          you can’t get to by a boat or a train.          It's far, far away -- behind the moon --          beyond the rain -  (sings)          Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high, There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.”  But the funny thing is she never finds that place.  She finds OZ but there is trouble there.  And when she clicks here heels three times and returns home she will still have trouble.  So her longings are never fulfilled.

But Dorothy has tapped into something.  There is a longing, a soul yearning in us for a place without trouble.  No pain, no tears, no death, no sorrow.  This is not only a Christian longing it is a universal longing.  Muslims promise paradise to those who give their lives in a holy war.  Many eastern religions long to get off the cycle of reincarnation in Nirvana and even Tom Cruses Scientology longs for something better.    We all want what Dorothy hoped to find somewhere over the rainbow, Paradise.  The Bible describes paradise this way:

Revelation 21:3-5 (ESV) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

This is what our hearts long for.  Yet even thou there is a universal longing for paradise the path is vastly different for people of different faiths.  This topic came up in a conversation with a friend this past week.   My friend is spiritual but does not believe in Jesus.  In response to a question, I said, “I will tell you why I believe in Jesus.  It is because in all other religions it’s about you reaching God, but only in Christianity is it about a God reaching to us.  In Islam you give your live in a holy war or for many eastern religions Nirvana is reached through a self denial and emotional detachment and even Tom Cruise needs to get rid of all his Body Thetans. But Jesus gives paradise as a gift through his work not mine.  Jesus on the cross satisfied the demand for fairness and justice by absorbing all the punishment and death that I and the whole world deserve”.  He is our peace and path to paradise. Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 (ESV)  

So our souls longing for a place where there is no trouble is not found over the rainbow it is found under the cross at the feet of Jesus where we stop trying to appease God and rest in the work of Christ for us.   Thank you Jesus!

Doug ><>

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