Last Sunday, Max read from the Book of Micah, and he graciously offered a bit of historical context before beginning. He reminded us that Micah, an 8th-century BC prophet, spoke boldly against the leaders of Israel—primarily in the Northern Kingdom. He condemned their corruption, their neglect of the poor, their willingness to follow false prophets, and their empty, performative worship.
They had created a false sense of righteousness—a curated spirituality that ignored real suffering. They lived in comfort, blindness, and denial. In many ways, it was like living in a spiritual version of The Wizard of Oz—bright, appealing, and completely disconnected from reality.
In 722 BC, that illusion shattered. The Assyrian Empire invaded and destroyed the Northern Kingdom, leaving behind only Samaria and those too poor or insignificant to be taken into exile. The leaders and the upper class—the very ones who had led the nation astray—were carried off into captivity and never returned.
There are at least two lessons for us here:
1. See the Reality Around Us
We often live in two realities at once.
I confess that I can escape into the world of sports. I can convince myself that scores, statistics, player rankings, and performance metrics truly matter. It becomes its own version of Oz—bright, exciting, and full of promise. If my team wins, it feels like I’ve arrived at the Emerald City.
But it isn’t real. And at the end of that road, there is often the same emptiness that Israel discovered in their illusion.
Meanwhile, another reality is unfolding—one that we often ignore. We tell ourselves that wealth, success, power, and competition will satisfy us. Yet God is saying—perhaps even shouting—that what truly matters is people: their stories, their struggles, and the beauty woven into creation.
There is also a deeper spiritual reality at work. Evil is not abstract—it is active. It seeks to keep us distracted, numb, and unaware. Scripture warns us in the Book of Hosea 8:7: “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Small compromises—insincerity, neglect, indifference—can grow into forces that damage entire communities.
As the cartoon philosopher Pogo once said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
The path forward is not denial—it is repentance. We must turn back to the Lord.
2. Change the World Around Us
When we hear all of this, a natural question arises: What can I do?
The answer begins with where we are. We invest our time, energy, and attention in what truly matters. God is already at work—right here, right now. As the Book of Isaiah 43:19 reminds us: “See, I am doing a new thing!” And the psalmist declares in Psalms 40:2: “He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Open up to this beautiful activity by God!
We participate in this work by following God’s Word, seeking His presence, and trusting His promises. We learn to see and embrace the beauty God is unfolding. We love the people He places in our path. And we reject the illusion of Oz—which, in the end, is not powerful at all.
Remember the truth revealed at the end of The Wizard of Oz: the great and powerful wizard was not what he appeared to be. As he admits, “I am just a very bad wizard.”
And yet, Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion already possessed what they needed all along. So it is with us. God has already given us what we need. Let us hold fast to the beauty God is placing before us.
Let us follow Him—even when it is inconvenient—by making and becoming disciples, as commanded in the Great Commission. Let us help build the River described in the Book of Ezekiel—a river that is ever-growing, ever-flowing, ever-refreshing, and everlasting. And let us bring such beauty, grace, and truth into our community that people will recognize it can only come from God, of God, for God, and with God. If this sounds like a prayer, it is!
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