The Wizard of Oz

In “The Wizard of Oz”, there is a line that says, “Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain.”

If you have seen the movie, you know this was because the man behind the curtain had been exposed. He wasn’t the fierce and frightening face you saw on the curtain; He was just an old man who used the face on the curtain to intimidate and create a sense of awe in those who were led to see the Wizard.

I believe we live in a time when we are told not to pay attention to what is happening behind the curtain. Just as with the “Wizard of Oz,” we are told not to pay attention to what we actually see but to only pay attention to whatever we are being told we see.

This is nothing new, as humanity has always been subjected to false narratives that keep it ignorant of what is happening behind the scenes.

My contentions in this statement are not political. I am simply stating a fact.

Manipulation has always been used to affect the masses in a way that allows those in authority to push forward their agendas. We need to realize that this same manipulation continues today when we are told what we see and hear is true, and we must believe it because we are told to.

In the last few years, this has been amplified to the point that it has become deafening.

A true irony is that even when people know they have been duped, they still seem willing not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. It is as if admitting you were misled is worse than being misled.

Is this because of arrogance, or is it simply because we choose to believe what we have been told because we want it to be true?

I don't know about anyone else, but I am not willing to stand in front of the curtain and listen to a figurehead when I see a man behind that curtain pulling the strings.

Unfortunately, my unwillingness to do so has cost me relationships and influence on multiple occasions.

Why?

Perhaps it has more to do with those who have chosen not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain than it does with me.

Regardless, being unwilling to admit we are being led to do, say, and think things we disagree with is a sign of insecurity and selfishness, especially when we are in a position of influence that can affect what others do, say, and think.

In the movie, “The Wizard of Oz” turned out to be a kindly old man who had found his security behind the curtain. My questions are: Where are you finding your security? Are you presenting a version of yourself that others can readily identify with, or are you simply showing them an illusion of who you are because you are not sure yourself?

Regardless, one thing is sure: We are all being exposed to “The Wizard of Oz,” whether we can see it or not!

Proverbs 12:18, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”