Fellowship of World Christians 'Working Together in Union with Christ'
I’m off to see the wizard
Many of you will recall the story of the “Wizard of Oz.” Curiously, we can gain some insights about how spiritual abuser work from this popular tale. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion go to the Wizard because they believe he has the power to give them what they need. Dorothy needs to go home; the Scarecrow needs a brain; the Tin Man needs a heart; and the Lion needs courage. The Wizard sends them out on a quest to get the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. If they bring back the broomstick, he will give them what they need. They accomplish their mission by melting the witch and getting the broomstick, then return to the Wizard’s place to ask him to deliver on his promise. But, in, fact he is not expecting their return, and is quite put out at being held accountable to keep his promise.
Our heroes enter the huge chamber where the Wizard of Oz conducts his business. They are met face to face by the Wizard himself, a big, scary head-not a real person, just a serious face, surrounded by billowing smoke and fire, making a lot of noise. With a thunderous roar, the Wizard demands to know how these four dare to challenge him. Here is the point: it’s at this moment that Dorothy’s dog runs over to a small room and pulls back a curtain, and what is revealed to us is a simple, flesh-and-blood man who has long been hiding behind a mask of power. He operates behind a curtain pulling levers, making smoke, fire, and noise. The result looks impressive but is only a façade. Even when exposed he roars, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”!.
The Wizard is in fact a power abuser. He controls a whole city with a façade that postures power and punishes people for noticing. In a kingdom where the problem was that Wizard couldn’t deliver Dorothy and her crew became the problem for noticing there was a problem.
It is sad to think how often religious power-brokers control their spiritual kingdoms with power facades. They rain Bible verses on people about authority, submission, judgment, prosperity, holiness, righteous living or the end times, they speak as final authorities in the Bible and what they say is always final. They penalize people by not speaking to them, dropping them from the lists of friends with out comments or explanations simply for noticing that “the man behind the curtain” is just a human, with no authenticity or authority at all.
In too many churches, web pages and even forums, Christians are told to jump through spiritual-performance hoops to earn God’s approval something they already have for free because of Jesus’ death on the cross.
HYPOCRISY Act of playing a part: feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.
Another characteristic of false spiritual Christianity is that they attempt to affect virtues or qualities they do not have. And they have a different set of rules for themselves than everyone else. They are hypocrites.
Our heroes enter the huge chamber where the Wizard of Oz conducts his business. They are met face to face by the Wizard himself, a big, scary head-not a real person, just a serious face, surrounded by billowing smoke and fire, making a lot of noise. With a thunderous roar, the Wizard demands to know how these four dare to challenge him. Here is the point: it’s at this moment that Dorothy’s dog runs over to a small room and pulls back a curtain, and what is revealed to us is a simple, flesh-and-blood man who has long been hiding behind a mask of power. He operates behind a curtain pulling levers, making smoke, fire, and noise. The result looks impressive but is only a façade. Even when exposed he roars, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”!.
The Wizard is in fact a power abuser. He controls a whole city with a façade that postures power and punishes people for noticing. In a kingdom where the problem was that Wizard couldn’t deliver Dorothy and her crew became the problem for noticing there was a problem.
It is sad to think how often religious power-brokers control their spiritual kingdoms with power facades. They rain Bible verses on people about authority, submission, judgment, prosperity, holiness, righteous living or the end times, they speak as final authorities in the Bible and what they say is always final. They penalize people by not speaking to them, dropping them from the lists of friends with out comments or explanations simply for noticing that “the man behind the curtain” is just a human, with no authenticity or authority at all.
In too many churches, web pages and even forums, Christians are told to jump through spiritual-performance hoops to earn God’s approval something they already have for free because of Jesus’ death on the cross.
HYPOCRISY Act of playing a part: feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.
Another characteristic of false spiritual Christianity is that they attempt to affect virtues or qualities they do not have. And they have a different set of rules for themselves than everyone else. They are hypocrites.
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