A Green G(a)linda

It is the last day of Lent. Over the last six weeks, I have both abstained from things (sugar) and practiced new disciplines (Bible studies) as a way to center myself and reflect on my relationship with God. This year, as I look back over the last six weeks, I am somewhat surprised to realize that the most spiritually transformative moment I had was not at church, in prayer time, or during Bible study. Instead, it came from a most unexpected place.

For my birthday a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing the musical Wicked. For those of you who have not seen it, Wicked is the story of the witches of Oz. After Dorothy kills Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, a celebration occurs! One of the Ozians inquires of Glinda (the Good Witch of the South): "Is it true you knew her?" and from there, the story unfolds of the witches meeting in grade school and their relationship up until the point of Elphaba's death. It is a powerful story of love and friendship, politics and power, greed and goodness.

The true beauty of the tale is in the recognition that Elphaba was not truly a wicked witch at all. She often stood against injustice, tried to do what was right, opposed the higher powers. She cared for her family and friends. However, because she was (quite literally) green, she was labeled as different and evil.

G(a)linda, on the other hand, was lovely and well-liked. She had the right pedigree, the right personality, the right popularity. In school, she was the "it" girl. She was "kind" to people. However, though her eyes were opened to injustice, she often chose not to stand against it for fear of ridicule.

Every day since I have seen the show, I have asked myself: "Are you a Glinda or an Elphaba? Who do you want to be?" I have wrestled with this idea in light of my faith. Quite honestly, I strongly desire to be the Elphaba-- a woman who stands and fights for what is right. A woman who cares less about how she is viewed than about justice. A woman who has integrity and inner-strength that far exceeds any sort of outer beauty.

But, alas, I fear that I am a Glinda. I am  a people pleaser, and I enjoy being well-liked. My eyes are certainly open to injustice and I do befriend those different than myself, but I catch myself often making many of Glinda's arguments ("I can do more to help if I have the status and the popularity, than if I must go out alone"). As a result, I water down the suffering of those around me or choose to turn a blind eye.

My faith tells me that God calls us all to be Elphabas--different, counter-cultural, just, loving-- but too many of us seek to be Glinda-- good, well-liked, kind, mediocre.

This lenten season, I have struggled with the idea of what is good and what is faithful. Where do I fit in? I pray that, despite my Glinda tendencies, I have a little tinge of green in my skin... and that I will become more and more green every day.