"Pay No Attention..."

I am not, I am sure, the only one recently who has seen a fascinating parallel between events in the news and that wonderful, pivotal scene in "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the dog Toto face "The Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz." They are literally terrified, shaking, and quaking before the blustering behemoth head in front of them, until little Toto runs over to the corner and pulls back a curtain to reveal a little old man furiously pulling levers and pushing buttons, speaking into a microphone. "Oz" tries to salvage the situation by pulling the curtain back again and yelling, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain..." but it's too late. The "humbug" has been found out.

This moment alludes most perfectly to a specific news event this weekend, but I think that curtains are being pulled back on more and more people, situations, and institutions. Not all of what is being revealed is false or evil or even wrong, but I just think humanity is growing up, maturing spiritually, and that ways of being that worked for us even a few decades ago simply do not work any more. Too many individuals have done too much spiritual work of their own, and are courageously pulling back curtains in their own lives, their communities, and the larger world.

Once "Oz" was found out, he admitted to being a humbug, and let's face it, he became a real life person from that point on, not a caricature. And the story's heroine didn't attack him or kill him. In fact, he played a pivotal role (although not the obvious one) in her return home, in her moment of learning where her real power was located. As we pull back curtains, let's not be afraid. In facing our worst fears, we are finding our more beautiful selves.  We are finding our own power within, and not looking for it up on the screen.