The Wizard of WOZ and IS and OZ

by Captain Terry Camsey – 

“Follow the yellow brick road…follow the yellow brick road…”

To tell you the truth, I don’t remember too much about this film except that Dorothy, the little girl and her dog Toto (or was it Tonto?…no, that was the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, wasn’t it) set off to reach the Emerald City where the Wizard of Oz lived.

There was a witch–a wicked witch–wasn’t there–who kept trying to foul up the plans, and en route (along the yellow brick road) Dorothy met with some interesting characters. As I recall, the principal ones were the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, each of whom she was able to help in some way.

For the life of me I can’t think why they wanted to see the Wizard unless it was something to do with a drought….in the recesses of my mind the word “dust bowl” keeps popping into prominence.

I was trying to think of what exactly each of the characters that she met was wanting. Sometimes songs help to remind us of things, don’t they? (William Booth knew that even before television advertisers did. As I recall, he wanted tunes that would stick to people and make them go around house and work singing them. He was describing a television jingle even before the “bell” had rung with inventors who finally produced the television itself). One of the songs I do remember had the line “Dum -de-dah, dum-de-dudda, dum-de-dah, dum-de-dudda, if I only had a heart!”….or was it “brain.” For the purpose of this paraphrase I’ll stick with “heart!”)

No, I’m pretty certain that was the Tin Man’s song. He wanted a heart..

Now, what about the Cowardly Lion? Wasn’t it courage that he was looking for? Whoever heard of a lion–that king of the jungle–being a “scaredy cat?” Then the Scarecrow, it seems to me, really wanted a brain.

Interesting…a heart representing compassion, a brain representing intelligence and courage. Body, mind and soul.

For the devious, astute, sensitive, insightful…there is a sort of parallel here in what has happened, is happening and is about to happen in the territory. It’s related, of course, to the God who was, is, will be…and who calls himself I AM. A God whose will we pursue. In our case, not down a “yellow brick road” but down a “yellow, red and blue brick road!”

He is, in the very best sense, a “wizard” at what he is and does…the ultimate creator, the ultimate inventor, the ultimate innovator…a God who delights in change and (I’m sure, for the sheer fun of it) keeps changing the “goalposts” to keep us on our toes!

He’s the Wizard of WOZ because, as we look back, we can see that he has always been with us…that includes during MISSION2000.

He is the Wizard of IZ, because we believe he is present as we start to prepare to shift gears and change direction to respond to the changes he has created in our external environment.

And he is the Wizard of OZ (the Opportunity Zone) as we move off into the future down that “yellow, red and blue brick road.”

There will be a “wicked witch” of course…Satan is always trying to get us “off track.” There will be Scarecrows, too, who need to use the intelligence God placed in the wonderful gray matter he formed in our skulls. There will be Cowardly Lions who need to step out courageously, trusting in God to empower through his Holy Spirit. And there will be others who need to express, in practical acts, the compassion planted by God deep in their hearts.

But, if we keep our eyes on the “Emerald City” which we call heaven…and help others we meet along the way making the same journey…we will get to see the Wizard…of WOZ, IZ and OZ!