WORTHINESS AND THE WIZARD OF OZ

YOU ARE WORTHY

I give a lot of thought and writing time to “worthiness.”

So many of us feel unworthy at times.

While it’s painful to feel that we are unworthy, it’s downright dangerous to believe that we are unworthy.  

On the other hand, it’s empowering–and healing–to recognize ourselves and one another as worthy. Worthiness builds respect and opens us to reverence. Worthiness leads us to good things, to great things.

I just saw some valuable messages about worthiness in the film, Oz.

In case you don’t already know, this 2013 Disney movie, the back story of The Wizard of Oz,shows how the Wizard got to the Land of Oz long before Dorothy arrives.

As the story begins, we meet Oscar Diggs, a small time magician in a traveling circus in Kansas. While Oscar loves a lot of things about his work, appreciates wonderment, and has big dreams, mostly he judges himself as unworthy.

Steeped in the art of illusion, Oscar perceives himself to be less than honorable. He comes across that way too, as cunning, crafty, and shrewd. As viewers, we question his integrity, just as he does of himself.

Like Dorothy, Oscar is carried to Oz by a tornado. There, he appears to be the foretold Wizard who will defeat the Wicked Witch and restore peace and harmony in the Land of Oz.  

Accepting the call to act as Wizard brings Oscar through many conflicts and trials with the three witches and within himself. Often, he doubts his ability to do any good at all.  In fact, he begins to see himself as even less worthy, a really big fake, because he is pretending to be a Wizard with truly special powers.

It takes the Good Witch, Glinda, to reflect to him, again and again, what she sees in him: a man doing his best, a man with a caring heart, a man with limitations and flaws, yes, but a man with goodness at the core, a man who is worthy.

At last, at the end of the movie, Oscar sees himself as worthy. He commits to trying his best to restore peace and harmony to the Land of Oz. He becomes the Wizard.

May we all see worthiness in ourselves and one another, do our best to bring peace and harmony to our world, and become what we are called to be.