This Sunday is our last week of the Follow the Yellow Brick Road sermon series. So I thought I’d reflect on The Wizard of Oz in this devotional.
In the movie, Dorothy’s world begins in black and white. Her life is small, familiar, and focused mostly on herself, her struggles, her fears, and her desire to escape. But when the storm lifts her into Oz, everything shifts into vivid color. It’s as if a new dimension of life is revealed. And even more curiously, the people she already knew, the farmhands, appear in new forms as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. They were always there, but it took a journey beyond herself to see them more fully.
Isn’t that true in our spiritual life too?
There’s a story in Luke 24 where two disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus. They’re talking about Jesus’ death and their dashed hopes. They’re so wrapped up in their grief and confusion that they don’t recognize the person walking with them is Jesus himself. He listens. He walks with them. He even opens Scripture to them. Still, they don’t see clearly. Not until they pause, sit down, and break bread with him. Then their eyes are opened. Then they see Jesus fully for who he is.
How often do we walk past people without really seeing them? Maybe they’re coworkers, neighbors, church friends, or even family. We see them in black and white, like flat characters in the background of our own story. We may know their hobbies, their political views, or how they take their coffee. We may know their favorite sports team or what pew they sit in on Sundays. But do we really know them? Do we know what keeps them up at night? What brings them joy? What wounds they carry that are still healing? But when we slow down, listen, ask questions, and share life, the vivid moments of life come through. They become who they truly are, complex, beautiful, beloved children of God.
The path of following Jesus is like Dorothy’s journey. It reveals the vivid depth in others. We begin to see people not just as characters in our story, but as companions on the road. The Spirit helps us pay attention, turn our focus outward, and take time to share life with those we might have overlooked.
Reflection Questions:
- Who in your life have you only seen in black and white? What would it take to see them more fully?
- Are you open to the idea that someone you already know could be more courageous, loving, or wise than you realized?
- How might Jesus be walking alongside you today in the disguise of someone you’ve overlooked?
Prayer:
Jesus, open my eyes. Help me to see people not through the lens of distraction or assumption, but through your eyes of love. Turn my black and white world into a full color story where I can recognize the beauty, depth, and divine image in each person I meet. Amen.