Reflection
Every time I watch Wicked, I think to myself “It’s fine, I’ll be fine, it is just a movie”. But I know I’m telling myself a bold face lie because my shirt gets soaked from all the tears streaming down my face throughout the movie. Every. Single. Time. If you haven’t seen Wicked or are unfamiliar with this story, it is a retelling of The Wizard of Oz but with a focus on the witches of the story. The story prompts us with a simple yet crushing question: What if the “wicked” was never wicked at all?
Now there’s a scene in particular that has a strong streak of opening up the flood gates of tears for me, the OzDust Ballroom dance scene. Elphaba, the witch who is deemed as “wicked” because of her green skin, steps onto the dance floor already knowing what everyone in the room thinks of her. Her whole life she has endured being stared at, whispered about, laughed at, teased, etc. all because she looks different from everyone else. In the middle of the dance floor with everyone’s eyes settled on her every move, she decides to painfully and bravely embrace her outcast position in society in front of everyone by dancing alone. However, as she continues to awkwardly dance by herself, something unexpected happens. Glinda, the popular girl who everyone loves and believes she can do no wrong, takes a step towards Elphaba and joins her.
What this particular scene strikes me with is this sacred and holy moment when someone finally sees the hurt you have been carrying and instead of trying to fix you or relieve you from the hurt, they join you and hold it with you. And I think Advent invites us to this kind of awareness, as painful and risky as it may be.
The five women who are mentioned today in Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ genealogy also remind me of this kind of sacredness and holiness. These women were highlighted not to bring light to how one must be fixed or saved, but to bring light to their holiness as they are, marked with pain, resilience, and bravery. Jesus entered into this world through these women and he carried their legacy through the ways he navigated what it means to keep going when everyone around you misunderstands you. It feels as though their presence in this particular gospel is God’s way of telling us “I see you. With all you’ve been carrying and all that you’ve been through, I see you and I still choose you.”
As we continue our journey this Advent season, may we notice the ways in which God grows nearer to each of us and joins us wherever we may be and however we may show up. And may we learn more how to see and be seen by others by believing that even our most misunderstood stories are still welcome on the dance floor.
Caroline Cacabelos, M.Ed.
Associate University Minister