WICKED FOR GOOD!
- Jan 31
- 3 min read
"He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38).
During a recent conversation with my 11-year old granddaughter, we discussed our thoughts about the movie “Wicked: For Good.” We shared favorite moments, notable characters, and the overall impact the film had on us. One of the insights shared was the statement Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch of the West, made to her frenemy, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
As those who have read the book and seen the musical “Wicked” know, Elphaba was not truly wicked but instead sought to reveal the true corruption of the Wizard’s authoritarian campaign to rule Oz through silencing and oppressing anyone not aligned with his agenda. (Sound familiar?) It seemed that, as the saga ensued, the more Elphaba worked to reveal the truth, the more of an enemy of the state she became, which strained her relationship with Glinda. As her efforts diminished while she still yearned to have the truth and good win out, Elphaba said to an enlightened Glinda about herself: “They need someone to be wicked so that you can be good.”
We are not living in a fairy tale, but in the raw reality of the non-stop unraveling of our democracy that daily smashes our sense of decency, morality, and kindness. The unsanctioned bombings in Nigeria and Venezuela by the Trump administration violate international law and the US Constitution, and are an affront to Jesus’s call to love our enemies. The continual assault on immigrants now includes US citizens being detained, disappeared, shot at, and murdered, mirroring the ongoing terror felt in communities of African Americans for centuries. Our heads reel with every propagandized explanation by political leaders presented as truth, despite verified facts to the contrary.
Even in Oz, the Wizard, being directly confronted by Elphaba with his corruption, says, “I could tell ’em that I’d been lying to ’em ‘til I’m… blue in the face, but it wouldn't make any difference. They’re never gonna stop believing in me. You know why? Because they don’t want to.” He seems to be saying that people would rather believe the comfort of a lie than face hard truths. Art reflects life.
As nonviolent peacemakers, what does it mean to consider that people need evil in order for good to prevail? Christ offers us an explanation. Acts 10: 36 and 38 states, “...[God] proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, … anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. [Jesus] went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
Remember, Jesus was criminalized, made “wicked,” for preaching the good news. But through the example of his suffering and resurrection, we are affirmed in our work for reconciliation and justice. Our faith in the Risen Christ gives us the strength and fortitude to seek the truth about the murder of Renee Good or the detainment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, among so many others, and we must demand accountability.
We can stand in vigils, marches, and outside of immigration detention centers to pray with our bodies in solidarity with our terrorized neighbors. We can tell the stories of those who have been oppressed, who are suffering due to their resistance against the current regime. We can write letters persuading our local jurisdictions to divest from companies that manufacture weapons so that social programs can be funded to meet people’s expressed needs. All this and more we can do because our God is just. Our God is peace. Our God is good, and as faithful, spirit-filled disciples, we can make a change for the good.
In Christ's Peace,
Charlene Howard
Executive Director
Pax Christi USA
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