November 15, 2026
The year 1939 is widely viewed as the greatest in cinematic history. Ten films were nominated for Best Picture. Gone with the Wind won that Oscar, one of the ten it received, beating out such contenders as Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Wuthering Heights. Also included among them and arguably the most endearing was The Wizard of Oz, based on the children’s fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum.
Toward the end of the show, with the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West in hand, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion appear before the great Wizard to receive their reward. As Dorothy objects to the Wizard’s delay, her little dog Toto pulls back the curtain, exposing his true identity. He then responds, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” a line that has become iconic in Hollywood history.
As it turns out, this powerful, mystical being was just an ordinary man operating a bunch of gadgets, creating an ominous image. The wizard’s persona is rooted in deception. Though nothing more than an undistinguished balloonist from Omaha, he manufactures a false picture of power in order to command control over the people of Oz. As Warren Boutin stated in an article appearing on www.scifidimensions.com, “His pronouncements and demands are based not on genuine ability, but on manufactured spectacle…He lacked genuine magical abilities, so he created an illusion of them.”
Interestingly, such action can be traced back to the Garden of Eden. Kicked out of heaven, Lucifer, now the devil, took on the form of a serpent. Through lies and deception, he preys upon Eve’s humanity and vulnerability, paving the way for the Fall.
Thousands of years later, the enemy is still up to his old tricks. Politicians often create an artificial, unsustainable image in order to put themselves in a position of power and control. The advertising and marketing industries are awash with such strategies. Problems are accentuated so that solutions can be sold. Great pains are taken in order to get us to buy products we don’t need with money we don’t have.
That said, nowhere is the “man behind the curtain” more prevalent than the arena of personal relationships. Countless people have been swept off their feet by a carefully crafted image, only to discover that “the man behind the curtain” was everything but what they perceived him/her to be. The proliferation of various websites and social media complicates matters all the more.
“Lighten up,” someone might object. “You’re overthinking it. This is just a children’s story. That nice little man was just trying to make his way in an unknown land. Grant him some grace.”
Yet, it provides a valuable lesson. As the Bible says, “For man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Paul penned, “Do not lie to one another, since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (1 Samuel 16:7, Colossians 3:9,10).
In the end, Dorothy “made it back to Kansas.” In the end, you’ll make it to heaven if you’ve received Christ as Savior. In the meantime, watch out for the mighty wizard. With divine discernment, make sure the curtain is pulled back before moving forward and making major decisions.
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Todd Gaddis is a semi-retired minister living in Athens. He continues to serve as an interim pastor and can be reached at jtoddgaddis@gmail.com.
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