April 18, Good Friday (John 18:1-19:42)
Good Friday is an annual reminder to ask who is crucified in our midst to distract from the crimes of those in power.
The most effective way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.
The film Wicked, adapted from the Broadway musical and novel of the same name, is not shy about speaking to the current political moment. In the film, protagonist Elphaba—despised and feared by family and peers alike for the green hue of her skin—seeks the counsel of the “great and terrible” Wizard of Oz when she learns of the disenfranchisement of animals. Rather than help Elphaba protect the rights of the animals, however, the Wizard reveals himself to be the one behind the campaign against them.
Elphaba also discovers that the Wizard has no real magical powers and relies on propaganda about hated others to distract people from this fact. He blames Oz’s problems on animals’ participation in society and manages to unite the people of Oz under this assumption. Despite Elphaba’s efforts to stand up for the animals, she herself becomes an enemy of the Wizard, and thus an enemy of Oz. Dripping with bloodlust, the people chase her out of town.
