Along the way of our Lenten Pilgrimage, our communal practice of speaking love to the storm, we have reflected in retreat about what rocks to leave behind and what rocks to take up, we have written as an exercise of deep soul work, we have wandered in labyrinth, we have continued camino preparations, we have sung as an act of resistant love, we have wept with our warring world, and this past weekend our youth group put on an excellent production of The Wizard of Oz.
Many thanks to our young people who stepped into the spotlight not only to entertain us but to inspire and give us an example of community and of love. The many hours of preparation, friendship, and rehearsal paid off as they were able to create for us something that I think we needed– a bright, fun, and colorful experience of home. Many thanks as well to their parents and friends who did so much to plan and organize for the weekend, to create, build, paint, and bring the set to life, to keep everyone fed, to robe our actors and actresses in bright and colorful costumes, to manage the sound system, to shine the lights, to play and animate the sound, to direct and choreograph, and to watch, listen, cheer, laugh, and cry. Hundreds of people came together around our young people this weekend and we are grateful.
The storyline of this play follows a dream that transports a young woman from Kansas named Dorothy to a magical land somewhere over the rainbow named Oz. Her dream brings Dorothy’s inner characters to life. There’s a scarecrow in her who is convinced that it needs a brain, there’s a tin person who feels so hollow that it feels like it’s missing a heart, there’s a lion in her that carries a void of nerve and courage. There’s also a wizard who hides in emerald regality because he feels inadequate of the greatness it takes to help others. There are emotion-chasing munchkins who laugh, cheer, run, and hide all in a reactionary instant. There’s a beautiful witch of the north who glows in moments of clarity, knowing just the right thing to say. And within Dorothy there’s a green witch of the west who carries blame, wickedness, and exile.
In her dream Dorothy’s inner characters discover that when they come together as friends, holding one another’s struggles and desires, they find what it is that they are looking for. Her inner characters find wholeness by listening to one another, bringing their struggles to the light, and journeying together. I imagine there are so many lessons and opportunities for integration, growth, and healing that Dorothy would be able to process when she woke up from this dream. And yet, there is so much that remains for Dorothy to dream about. I wonder if the next evening her inner witch of the west is blue and gets a chance to share its sadness for all the other characters to hear. Or maybe in her dream the community of characters celebrates that this witch of the west doesn’t have to be “wicked” anymore, she can just be herself and be loved and be love. I wonder where Dorothy’s dreams would take her.
I wonder too, what are you dreaming? In this season of life, in this moment in world history, what are you dreaming? Who are your inner characters and how are they coming to life? How are they inviting you to come to life? Take some time during this season to dream. Sit with your dreams. Talk about them. Let them come to life and let yourself be invited to life by them. Happy dreaming.