Wicked and Luther

Just over a week ago, I finally finished reading Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. It had taken me over two years to read it. This was not because it was uninteresting, but simply because even the softcover of the book was so huge, and it didn’t fit into my suitcase very well.

Maguire has a delightful understanding of L. Frank Baum’s Oz, reminding us that even fantasy characters are not so different from us, and that there is no true Utopia while humans still live there, at least not on this side of death. His explorations of the philosophy of what makes good versus evil are well described and thought provoking. Focusing on a hapless woman whose every intention for good brought evil to those she was near, Maguire brought to mind a not-so-fictitious character I have also encountered recently.

The movie Luther is about the spiritual and political journey of Martin Luther, as his passionate theology sparked the Protestant Reformation. It’s a brilliant movie, adding depth to a legendary character much like Wicked does. The road was far from smooth for Luther, whose beliefs were misinterpreted by many, leading to thousands of deaths during his lifetime and his published prejudice against the Jews was later quoted by Hitler as support for his holocaust. And yet, few in the church would argue that Luther was “wicked”, a force for evil in this world.

I realize that comparing a fictional character and a real-life worldchanger may be a far stretch, but bear with me. Both “characters” sought the greater good, which was at a surprising cost. How could one be considered wicked while the other benevolent? In Maguire’s book, the Witch sought good of her own creation. She depended upon her own abilities and her own self. When she failed, she failed alone. Martin Luther passionately trusted the God he was serving. He was fully aware of the failings of his humanity, and trusted God to bring about the good which he so desired to see. His very trust that he was incapable led him to entrust the mission to God, who truly made it happen, despite human failing.

Perhaps then, it is a relief to know that we are all “wicked”, but a loving God can keep us from falling, as well.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

(Jude 1:24-25 ESV)